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.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bandura A. Self-efficacy. In: Ramachaudran V, editor. Encyclopedia of human behavior. San Diego: Academic Press; 1994. p. 71–81.
Bandura A. Self-efficacy: the exercise of control. New York: W.H. Freeman; 1997.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Benight C, Bandura A. Social cognitive theory of posttraumatic recovery: the role of perceived self-efficacy. Behav Res Ther. 2004;42(10):1129–48.
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.
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.
Sulaiman-Hill CMR, Thompson SC. Sampling challenges in a study examining refugee resettlement. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 2011;11(2).
Sulaiman-Hill CMR, Thompson SC. Selecting instruments for assessing psychological wellbeing in Afghan and Kurdish refugee groups. BMC Res Notes. 2010;3:237.
Orb A, Eisenhauer L, Wynaden D. Ethics in qualitative research. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2001;33(1):93–6.
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.
Faugier J, Sargeant M. Sampling hard to reach populations. J Adv Nurs. 1997;26(4):790–7.
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.
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.
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/.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Grbich C. Qualitative research in health: an introduction. Sydney: Allen & Unwin; 1999.
Sandelowski M. Combining qualitative and quantitative sampling, data collection, and analysis techniques in mixed-method studies. Res Nurs Health. 2000;23(3):246–55.
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.
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.
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
Corresponding author
Rights 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
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-011-9547-5