Skip to main content
Search
Search
    Quick Search anywhere
    Quick search in Citations
Advanced Search
Skip main navigationClose Drawer MenuOpen Drawer Menu
Previous article
Next article
Original Article

Social Support From Friends Among Unaccompanied Young Refugees

The Role of Collectivist Values and Related Self-Construals

Published Online:January 28, 2022https://doi.org/10.1027/2512-8442/a000098

Abstract

Abstract.Background: Social support is an important resource and source of self-esteem and belongingness for all children and youths. Yet, for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee minors, who leave their home countries without a caretaking adult, extra-familial social, supportive networks in exile may be crucial for their well-being. We propose that their origin in collectivist cultures involves resources for re-establishing social networks in countries of resettlement. Aim: The overall aim of this study is to examine if cultural factors such as values and self-construals are associated with variations in perceived social support from friends among unaccompanied young refugees. We propose a model in which related self-construals mediate the association between collectivist values and perceived friend support. Method: We collected cross-sectional self-report questionnaire data from 611 unaccompanied young refugees (84.5% male; Mage = 18.49 years, SD = 2.57 years) who had been granted residence in Norway. Results: Structural equation analyses revealed that higher levels of collectivist values were associated with stronger related self-construals, which, in turn, were positively associated with stronger perceived support from friends. However, related self-construals only acted as a partial mediator. Limitations: The generalizability of our findings to other groups of immigrant children and youth and/or to unaccompanied refugees in other countries is unknown and should be examined in future studies. Conclusion: Our results contribute new theoretical knowledge about how the development of social supportive relationships in the diaspora is embedded in cross-cultural contexts. Maintaining aspects of one’s heritage culture can promote resilient outcomes among unaccompanied young refugees.

References

  • Almqvist, K., & Broberg, A. G. (1999). Mental health and social adjustment in young refugee children 3½ years after their arrival in Sweden. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 38(6), 723–730. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199906000-00020 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Barrera, M. (1986). Distinctions between social support concepts, measures, and models. American Journal of Community Psychology, 14(4), 413–445. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00922627 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Barrie, L., & Mendes, P. (2011). The experiences of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in and leaving the out-of-home care system in the UK and Australia: A critical review of the literature. International Social Work, 54(4), 485–503. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872810389318 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bean, T., Derluyn, I., Eurelings-Bontekoe, E., Broekaert, E., & Spinhoven, P. (2007). Comparing psychological distress, traumatic stress reactions, and experiences of unaccompanied refugee minors with experiences of adolescents accompanied by parents. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 195(4), 288–297. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nmd.0000243751.49499.93 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Bentler, P. M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107(2), 238–246. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.107.2.238 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Broad, B., & Robbins, I. (2005). The wellbeing of unaccompanied asylum seekers leaving care. Diversity in Health and Social Care, 2(4), 271–277. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Cobb, S. (1976). Social support as a moderator of life stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 38(5), 300–314. https://doi.org/10.1097/00006842-197609000-00003 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cohen, S., & Wills, T. A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98(2), 310–357. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Correa-Velez, I., Gifford, S. M., & Barnett, A. G. (2010). Longing to belong: Social inclusion and wellbeing among youth with refugee backgrounds in the first three years in Melbourne, Australia. Social Science & Medicine, 71(8), 1399–1408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2010.07.018 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Crocetti, E., Moscatelli, S., Kaniušonytė, G., Branje, S., Žukauskienė, R., & Rubini, M. (2018). Adolescents’ self perception of morality, competence, and sociability and their interplay with quality of family, friend, and school relationships: A three-wave longitudinal study. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 47, 1743–1754. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-018-0864-z First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cross, S. E., Bacon, P. L., & Morris, M. L. (2000). The relational-interdependent self-construal and relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78(4), 791–808. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.78.4.791 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cross, S. E., Hardin, E. E., & Gercek-Swing, B. (2010). The what, how, why, and where of self-construal. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 15(2), 142–179. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868310373752 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cross, S. E., & Madson, L. (1997). Models of the self: Self-construals and gender. Psychological Bulletin, 122(1), 5–37. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.122.1.5 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cross, S. E., & Morris, M. L. (2003). Getting to know you: The relational self-construal, relational cognition, and well-being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(4), 512–523. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167202250920 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Cross, S. E., Morris, M. L., & Gore, J. S. (2002). Thinking about oneself and others: The relational-interdependent self-construal and social cognition. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(3), 399–418. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.82.3.399 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Eide, K., Guribye, E., & Liden, H. (2014). Refugee children: Ambiguity in care and education. In G. OverlandE. GuribyeB. LieEds., Nordic work with traumatised refugees: Do we really care (pp. 119–131). Cambridge Scholars Publishing. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Germani, A., Delvecchio, E., Li, J. B., & Mazzeschi, C. (2020). Protective factors for depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. Scandinavian journal of Psychology, 61(2), 237–242. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12616 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Halvorsen, K. (2002). Separated children seeking asylum: The most vulnerable of all. Forced Migration Review, 12(7), 34–36. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Hartup, W. W. (1989). Social relationships and their developmental significance. American Psychologist, 44(2), 120–126. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.44.2.120 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Helsen, M., Vollebergh, W., & Meeus, W. (2000). Social support from parents and friends and emotional problems in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 29(3), 319–335. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005147708827 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Hodes, M., Jagdev, D., Chandra, N., & Cunniff, A. (2008). Risk and resilience for psychological distress amongst unaccompanied asylum seeking adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49(7), 723–732. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01912.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kagitcibasi, C. (1994). A critical appraisal of individualism and collectivism: Toward a new formulation. In U. KimH. C. TriandisC. KagitcibasiS.-C. ChoiG. YoonEds., Individualism and collectivism: Theory, method, and applications (pp. 52–65). Sage. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (1996). Family and human development across cultures: A view from the other side. Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (2005). Autonomy and relatedness in cultural context: Implications for self and family. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 36(4), 403–422. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022105275959 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (2007). Family, self, and human development across cultures: Theory and applications. Erlbaum. First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Kağıtçıbaşı, Ç. (2013). Adolescent autonomy-relatedness and the family in cultural context: What is optimal? Journal of Research on Adolescence, 23(2), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.12041 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Karataş, S., Crocetti, E., Schwartz, S. J., & Rubini, M. (2021). Psychological and social adjustment in refugee adolescents: The role of parents’ and adolescents’ friendships. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2021(176), 123–139. https://doi.org/10.1002/cad.20395 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Keles, S., Idsøe, T., Friborg, O., Sirin, S., & Oppedal, B. (2017). The longitudinal relation between daily hassles and depressive symptoms among unaccompanied refugees in Norway. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 45(7), 1413–1427. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-016-0251-8 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Keller, H. (2007). Cultures of infancy. Erlbaum. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Keller, H. (2012). Autonomy and relatedness revisited: Cultural manifestations of universal human needs. Child Development Perspectives, 6(1), 12–18. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-8606.2011.00208.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Keller, H., Papaligoura, Z., Künsemueller, P., Völker, S., Papaeliou, C., Lohaus, A., Lamm, B., Kokkinaki, T., Chrysikou, E., & Mousouli, V. (2003). Concepts of mother-infant interaction in Greece and Germany. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 34(6), 677–689. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022103257035 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Laursen, B., & Bukowski, W. M. (1997). A developmental guide to the organisation of close relationships. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 21(4), 747–770. https://doi.org/10.1080/016502597384659 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Lerner, R. M. (1992). Dialectics, developmental contextualism, and the further enhancement of theory about puberty and psychosocial development. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 12(4), 366–388. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431692012004002 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Maercker, A., Zhang, X. C., Gao, Z., Kochetkov, Y., Lu, S., Sang, Z., Yang, S., Schneider, S., & Margraf, J. (2015). Personal value orientations as mediated predictors of mental health: A three-culture study of Chinese, Russian, and German university students. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 15(1), 8–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2014.06.001 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Markus, H. R., & Kitayama, S. (1991). Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation. Psychological Review, 98(2), 224–253. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.98.2.224 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Markus, H. R., & Wurf, E. (1987). The dynamic self-concept: A social psychological perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 38(1), 299–337. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.38.020187.001503 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Matsumoto, D., Kudoh, T., & Takeuchi, S. (1996). Changing patterns of individualism and collectivism in the United States and Japan. Culture & Psychology, 2(1), 77–107. https://doi.org/10.1177/1354067X9621005 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Mels, C., Derluyn, I., & Broekaert, E. (2008). Social support in unaccompanied asylum‐seeking boys: A case study. Child: Care, Health and Development, 34(6), 757–762. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2214.2008.00883.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Moscardino, U., Scrimin, S., Capello, F., & Altoè, G. (2010). Social support, sense of community, collectivistic values, and depressive symptoms in adolescent survivors of the 2004 Beslan terrorist attack. Social Science & Medicine, 70(1), 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.09.035 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Motti-Stefanidi, F. (2019). Resilience among immigrant youths: Who adapts well, and why? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 28(5), 510–517. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721419861412 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Muthén, L. K., & Muthén, B. O. (2012). Mplus user’s guide (7th ed.). Muthén & Muthén. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Oppedal, B. (2011). The role of social support in the association between perceived discrimination and mental health among young immigrants in Norway. International Journal of Developmental Science, 5(1–2), 85–99. https://doi.org/10.3233/DEV-2011-11076 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Oppedal, B., Guribye, E., & Kroger, J. (2017). Vocational identity development among unaccompanied refugee minors. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 60, 145–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2017.04.004 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Oppedal, B., & Idsoe, T. (2015). The role of social support in the acculturation and mental health of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 56(2), 203–211. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12194 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Oppedal, B., & Røysamb, E. (2004). Mental health, life stress and social support among young Norwegian adolescents with immigrant and host national background. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 45(2), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2004.00388.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Oyserman, D., & Markus, H. R. (2014). The sociocultural self. In J. SulsEd., Psychological perspectives on the self, Volume 4: The self in social perspective (pp. 187–220). Psychology Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Phinney, J. S., Kim-Jo, T., Osorio, S., & Vilhjalmsdottir, P. (2005). Autonomy and relatedness in adolescent-parent disagreements: Ethnic and developmental factors. Journal of Adolescent Research, 20(1), 8–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558404271237 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Phinney, J. S., & Madden, T. (1997, November). Individualism and collectivism: What do they mean for adolescents from American ethnic groups. Paper presented at the Conference on Ethnicity and Development, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Piaget, J. (1948). The moral judgment of the child. xx: Free Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Sandler, I. N., Miller, P., Short, J., & Wolchik, S. A. (1989). Social support as a protective factor for children in stress. In D. BelleEd., Children’s social networks and social supports (pp. 277–307). Wiley. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Sarason, B. R., Pierce, G. R., Shearin, E. N., Sarason, I. G., Waltz, J. A., & Poppe, L. (1991). Perceived social support and working models of self and actual others. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(2), 273–287. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.60.2.273 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Satorra, A. (2000). Scaled and adjusted restricted tests in multi-sample analysis of moment structures. In R. D. H. HeijmansD. S. G. PollockA. SatorraEds., Innovations in multivariate statistical analysis (pp. 233–247). Kluwer Academic. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Shrauger, J. S., & Lund, A. K. (1975). Self‐evaluation and reactions to evaluations from others. Journal of Personality, 43(1), 94–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1975.tb00574.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Stewart, M., Anderson, J., Beiser, M., Mwakarimba, E., Neufeld, A., Simich, L., & Spitzer, D. (2008). Multicultural meanings of social support among immigrants and refugees. International Migration, 46(3), 123–159. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2435.2008.00464.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Tartakovsky, E. (2009). The psychological well‐being of unaccompanied minors: A longitudinal study of adolescents immigrating from Russia and Ukraine to Israel without parents. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 19(2), 177–204. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2009.00589.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Tian, L., Liu, B., Huang, S., & Huebner, E. S. (2013). Perceived social support and school well-being among Chinese early and middle adolescents: The mediational role of self-esteem. Social Indicators Research, 113(3), 991–1008. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-012-0123-8 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Triandis, H. C. (1995). Individualism & collectivism. Westview Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Vansteenkiste, M., Lens, W., Soenens, B., & Luyckx, K. (2006). Autonomy and relatedness among Chinese sojourners and applicants: Conflictual or independent predictors of well-being and adjustment? Motivation and Emotion, 30(4), 273–282. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-006-9041-x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • West, S. G., Taylor, A. B., Wu, W., & Hoyle, R. H. (2012). Model fit and model selection in structural equation modeling. In R. H. HoyleEd., Handbook of structural equation modeling (pp. 209–231). Guilford Press. First citation in articleGoogle Scholar

  • Wilks, J. (1986). The relative importance of parents and friends in adolescent decision making. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 15(4), 323–334. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02145729 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Young, J. F., Berenson, K., Cohen, P., & Garcia, J. (2005). The role of parent and peer support in predicting adolescent depression: A longitudinal community study. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 15(4), 407–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2005.00105.x First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar

  • Ystgaard, M. (1997). Life stress, social support and psychological distress in late adolescence. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 32(5), 277–283. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00789040 First citation in articleCrossref, Google Scholar