THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PERCEIVED RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN REFUGEES

Kobayashi, H; Berle, D

THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PERCEIVED RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN REFUGEES

Kobayashi, H Berle, D

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Publisher:: GUILFORD PUBLICATIONS INC
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 2023, 42, (2), pp. 103-124
Issue Date:: 2023-04-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Kobayashi, H
dc.contributor.author	Berle, D https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4861-2220
dc.date.accessioned	2024-01-18T22:13:58Z
dc.date.available	2024-01-18T22:13:58Z
dc.date.issued	2023-04-01
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 2023, 42, (2), pp. 103-124
dc.identifier.issn	0736-7236
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/174776
dc.description.abstract	Introduction: Relationship quality plays an important role in mental health, but little is known about its importance among resettled refugees. We investigated the association between perceived relationship quality and psychological symptoms among refugees resettled in Australia. Methods: Participants were 738 adult refugees (principal applicants, 83.5% male, M = 43.2 years, SD = 12.3) and their partners who participated in the Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA) study across 5 years from 2013 to 2017. Participants were assessed for psychological distress, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and perceived relationship quality, using the Kessler scale (K6), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-8 (PTSD-8), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale-4 (DAS-4), respectively. Results: Multiple regression analyses found that, among principal applicants, perceived relationship quality predicted psychological distress (p =.0006) at post-arrival, and changes in perceived relationship quality predicted changes in PTSS (p =.0003) across a one-year interval. When partners were analyzed, results were broadly consistent with those of the principal applicants, except that changes in relationship quality did predict changes in psychological distress, but not changes in PTSS. Discussion: Relationship quality appeared to be associated with psychological distress, but improvements in relationship quality may have particular utility for reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. These results highlight the importance of relationship quality as a key correlate of refugee mental health.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	GUILFORD PUBLICATIONS INC
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1521/JSCP.2023.42.2.103
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences
dc.subject.classification	Social Psychology
dc.subject.classification	5201 Applied and developmental psychology
dc.subject.classification	5203 Clinical and health psychology
dc.subject.classification	5205 Social and personality psychology
dc.title	THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PERCEIVED RELATIONSHIP QUALITY AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS IN REFUGEES
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	42
utslib.for	1701 Psychology
utslib.for	1702 Cognitive Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
dc.date.updated	2024-01-18T22:13:57Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	42
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

Introduction: Relationship quality plays an important role in mental health, but little is known about its importance among resettled refugees. We investigated the association between perceived relationship quality and psychological symptoms among refugees resettled in Australia. Methods: Participants were 738 adult refugees (principal applicants, 83.5% male, M = 43.2 years, SD = 12.3) and their partners who participated in the Building a New Life in Australia (BNLA) study across 5 years from 2013 to 2017. Participants were assessed for psychological distress, posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), and perceived relationship quality, using the Kessler scale (K6), the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-8 (PTSD-8), and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale-4 (DAS-4), respectively. Results: Multiple regression analyses found that, among principal applicants, perceived relationship quality predicted psychological distress (p =.0006) at post-arrival, and changes in perceived relationship quality predicted changes in PTSS (p =.0003) across a one-year interval. When partners were analyzed, results were broadly consistent with those of the principal applicants, except that changes in relationship quality did predict changes in psychological distress, but not changes in PTSS. Discussion: Relationship quality appeared to be associated with psychological distress, but improvements in relationship quality may have particular utility for reductions in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. These results highlight the importance of relationship quality as a key correlate of refugee mental health.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/174776