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The Impact of Acculturation Style and Acculturative Hassles on the Mental Health of Somali Adolescent Refugees

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Abstract

Refugee adolescents often immigrate to a new society because of experiences of persecution and trauma, which can have profound effects on their mental health. Once they immigrate, many refugees experience stressors related to resettlement and acculturation in the new society. The current study examined relationships among acculturation styles and hassles and the well-being of young refugees as well as the role of gender. Data were collected from 135 young refugees (M age = 15.39, SD = 2.2; 62 % male) from Somalia resettled in the United States The findings from our study indicate that in addition to trauma history, acculturative hassles and acculturation style impact the wellbeing of Somali refugee adolescents. These findings indicate the need to understand both past experiences as well as current challenges. Potential areas for intervention are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Abdirahman Nur and Siraad Yusuf for their community engagement efforts. We would also like to thank Brandy Hubbard for her work on earlier drafts of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, Institute on Urban Health Research and Practice, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, 521 Holmes Hall, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Alisa K. Lincoln

  2. Department of Sociology, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA

    Alisa K. Lincoln

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Refugee Trauma and Resilience Center, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Vanja Lazarevic & B. Heidi Ellis

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Matthew T. White

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  1. Alisa K. Lincoln
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  2. Vanja Lazarevic
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  4. B. Heidi Ellis
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Correspondence to Alisa K. Lincoln.

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Lincoln, A.K., Lazarevic, V., White, M.T. et al. The Impact of Acculturation Style and Acculturative Hassles on the Mental Health of Somali Adolescent Refugees. J Immigrant Minority Health 18, 771–778 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0232-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0232-y

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