Description
Whereas substantial research shows that refugees encounter multiple traumatic events that impact their well-being, research on the implications of trauma on refugees aging out-of-place (i.e., aging in unfamiliar or foreign context), is mixed. As such the present quantitative study surveyed 108 refugee participants (from Bhutan, Burundi, and Somalia), aged 50+, living in the US to assess their well-being. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the association between trauma (pre-migration trauma) and well-being. (life-satisfaction). Results showed no main-effects of pre-migration trauma on life-satisfaction, however, differences by sociodemographic factors (i.e., place-of-origin, sex, and length-of-residence) were noted. Pre-migration trauma was associated with life-satisfaction among aging refugees who were from Africa (Burundi and Somalia) but not among those who were not from Africa (Bhutan). Among African refugees, higher pre-migration trauma was associated with lower life satisfaction. Pre-migration trauma was also associated with life-satisfaction for both men and women. The effect was stronger for women than men. Lastly, there was an association between pre-migration trauma and life-satisfaction among those with high length of residence but not among those with low length of residence. This study highlights variations within refugee groups which is important in determining interventions for aging refugees in host communities.
