Refugees in Brazil: An investigation of Syrian refugees' psychological experiences

Int J Psychol. 2022 Aug;57(4):466-474. doi: 10.1002/ijop.12815. Epub 2021 Oct 14.

Abstract

Although there is a strong body of literature on the psychosocial distress of refugees from Global South to Global North, there is limited literature on refugees who migrate from Global South (i.e., Syria) to Global South (i.e., Brazil). The present study aims to investigate Syrian refugees in Brazil. Participants were 202 Syrians. Most respondents were men (62.9%), with an average age of 35.9 years old (SD = 11.13). Results suggest an effect of positive ethnic identity in psychological and physical distress, who also perceive more discrimination than individuals who negatively identify with their ethnicity. Structural equation model suggests the fit of the proposed mediation model. Our findings add to the much-needed line of investigations examining Syrian refugees settling in Brazil.

Keywords: Distress; Ethnic identity; Global south; Refugees.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brazil
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Refugees* / psychology
  • Syria