Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Learning to Fit in: An Exploratory Study of General Perceived Self Efficacy in Selected Refugee Groups

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

As self efficacy beliefs help determine an individual’s response to challenging situations, we explored the impact of the refugee experience on efficacy beliefs and their contribution to resettlement. General self efficacy (GSE) was assessed in 186 resettled Afghan and Kurdish refugees against a range of personal and temporal variables. Although no differences in GSE in relation to temporal factors were noted, significant relationships between self efficacy, lower psychological distress and higher subjective well being were evident. The findings suggest that GSE, because of its positive association with mental health and well being, is a variable worthy of further examination in refugees. In addition to ensuring a supportive environment for learning English, proactive employment strategies should be encouraged. Further research examining the use of successful refugee role models to promote self efficacy, enhance motivation for learning and ensure newly arrived refugees view resettlement as a challenge, rather than a threat, is recommended.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bandura A. Self-efficacy. In: Ramachaudran V, editor. Encyclopedia of human behavior. San Diego: Academic Press; 1994. p. 71–81.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bandura A. Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman; 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Scherbaum C, Cohen-Charash Y, Kern M. Measuring general self-efficacy: a comparison of three measures using item response theory. Educ Psychol Meas. 2006;66(6):1047–63.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Luszczynska A, Gutierrez-Dona B, Schwarzer R. General self-efficacy in various domains of human functioning: evidence from five countries. Int J Psychol. 2005;40(2):80–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Scholz U, Dona BG, Sud S, Schwarzer R. Is general self-efficacy a universal construct? psychometric findings from 25 countries. Eur J Psychol Assess. 2002;18(3):242–51.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Schwarzer R, BaBler J, Kwiatek P, Schroder K. The assessment of optimistic self-beliefs: comparison of the German, Spanish, and Chinese versions of the general self-efficacy scale. Appl Psychol Int Rev. 1997;46(1):69–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Chen G, Gully S, Eden D. General self-efficacy and self-esteem: towards theoretical and empirical distinction between correlated self-evaluations. J Organ Behav. 2004;25(3):375–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Devlin JT, Dhalac D, Suldan AA, Jacobs A, Guled K, Bankole KA. Determinants of physical activity among Somali women living in Maine. J Immigrant Minority Health. 2011. doi:10.1007/s10903-011-9469-2.

  9. Gillespie A, Peltzer K, MacLachlan M. Returning refugees: psychosocial problems and mediators of mental health among Malawian returnees. J Ment Health. 2000;9(2):165–78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Kanbara S, Taniguchi H, Sakaue M, Wang D-H, Takaki J, Yajima Y, et al. Social support, self-efficacy and psychological stress responses among outpatients with diabetes in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2008;80:56–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Kvarme LG, Haraldstad K, Helseth S, Sorum R, Natvig GK. Associations between general self-efficacy and health-related quality of life among 12-13-year-old school children: a cross-sectional survey. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2009;7(85). doi:10.1186/1477-7525-7-85.

  12. Luszczynska A, Benight C, Cieslak R. Self-efficacy and health-related outcomes of collective trauma: a systematic review. Eur Psychol. 2009;14(1):51–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Benight C, Bandura A. Social cognitive theory of posttraumatic recovery: the role of perceived self-efficacy. Behav Res Ther. 2004;42(10):1129–48.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Kia-Keating M, Ellis BH. Belonging and connection to school in resettlement: Young refugees, school belonging, and psychosocial adjustment. Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2007;12(1):29–43.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Schwarzer R, Hahn A, Jerusalem M. Negative affect in East German migrants: longitudinal effects of unemployment and social support. Anxiety Stress Coping. 1993;6(1):57–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sulaiman-Hill CMR, Thompson SC. Sampling challenges in a study examining refugee resettlement. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 2011;11(2).

  17. Sulaiman-Hill CMR, Thompson SC. Selecting instruments for assessing psychological wellbeing in Afghan and Kurdish refugee groups. BMC Res Notes. 2010;3:237.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Orb A, Eisenhauer L, Wynaden D. Ethics in qualitative research. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2001;33(1):93–6.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Jacobsen K, Landau L. The dual imperative in refugee research: some methodological and ethical considerations in social science research on forced migration. Disasters. 2003;27(3):185–206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Faugier J, Sargeant M. Sampling hard to reach populations. J Adv Nurs. 1997;26(4):790–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Mackenzie C, McDowell C, Pittaway E. Beyond ‘do no harm’: the challenge of constructing ethical relationships in refugee research. J Refug Stud. 2007;20(2):299–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Schwarzer R, Jerusalem M. Generalized self-efficacy scale. In: Weinman J, Wright S, Johnston M, editors. Measures in health psychology: a user’s portfolio causal and control beliefs. Windsor: NFER-NELSON; 1995. p. 35–7.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Australian Bureau of Statistics. National Health Survey: Summary of Results. 2007–2008 [updated 2007–2008; cited Dec 2010]. Available from: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4364.0/.

  24. NZ Government. A portrait of health: key results of the 2006/07 New Zealand Health Survey. 2008 [updated 2008; cited Dec 2010]; Available from: http://www.moh.govt.nz/moh.nsf/indexmh/portrait-of-health.

  25. Boufous S, Silove D, Bauman A, Steel Z. Disability and health service utilization associated with psychological distress: the influence of ethnicity. Mental Health Serv Res J. 2005;7(3):171–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Cummins R, Eckersley R, Pallant J, Van Vugt J, Misajon R. Developing a national index of subjective wellbeing: the Australian unity wellbeing index. Soc Indic Res. 2003;64(2):159–90.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Tiliouine H. Measuring satisfaction with religiosity and its contribution to the personal well-being index in a muslim sample. Appl Res Qual Life. 2009;4:91–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Lau A, Cummins R, McPherson W. An investigation into the cross-cultural equivalence of the personal wellbeing index. Soc Indic Res. 2005;72(3):403–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Grbich C. Qualitative research in health: an introduction. Sydney: Allen & Unwin; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Sandelowski M. Combining qualitative and quantitative sampling, data collection, and analysis techniques in mixed-method studies. Res Nurs Health. 2000;23(3):246–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Beiser M, Hou F. Language acquisition, unemployment and depressive disorder among Southeast Asian refugees: a 10-year study. Soc Sci Med. 2001;53(10):1321–34.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Westermeyer J, Neider J, Callies A. Psychosocial adjustment of hmong refugees during their first decade in the United States: a longitudinal study. J Nerv Ment Dis. 1989;177(3):132–9.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Special thanks to Nicholas (Nasr) Sulaiman-Hill and Sawsan Kamal Ahmed for their assistance with data collection, and to all our former refugee participants. The author (CS-H) was supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award scholarship.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cheryl M. R. Sulaiman-Hill.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sulaiman-Hill, C.M.R., Thompson, S.C. Learning to Fit in: An Exploratory Study of General Perceived Self Efficacy in Selected Refugee Groups. J Immigrant Minority Health 15, 125–131 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9547-5

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9547-5

Keywords

Navigation