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Attachment insecurity in unaccompanied refugees: a longitudinal study

Attachment insecurity in unaccompanied refugees: a longitudinal study This study aims to focus on the avoidance and anxiety attachment patterns among unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) after resettlement in Norway. The authors explored the extent of stability and change in these attachment patterns and the role of demographic and interpersonal predictors of change in levels of attachment insecurity.Design/methodology/approachThree waves of data were analyzed with latent growth curve modeling. The sample consisted of 918 refugees who had arrived in Norway as unaccompanied minor asylum seekers and were granted residence. Of the initial sample, 82% were male and the mean age was 18.6 years (SD = 2.61).FindingsResults revealed substantial stability in attachment patterns: anxiety patterns did not change over time, while avoidance patterns increased, but only marginally.Research limitations/implicationsA large sample of URMs revealed rather stabile attachment patterns over time, underlining the need for social support that fosters their adjustment processes best. More research is needed to clarify the mechanism underlying the stability and change in attachment patterns and to understand better how these young people can be supported emotionally during their resettlement process in the absence of parental care.Social implicationsHost societies could perhaps invest more in promoting successful and sustainable adult relationships for unaccompanied refugees approaching the age of 18 years. This may help them to cope better with acculturation stressors and negative past experiences and may thereby improve their future mental health and social relationships.Originality/valueTargeting competencies to develop and maintain close relationships may be particularly important for URM’s, because this may alleviate risks for mental health related to past and current stressors as well as loneliness. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate stability and change in attachment insecurity among unaccompanied refugees. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care Emerald Publishing

Attachment insecurity in unaccompanied refugees: a longitudinal study

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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1747-9894
DOI
10.1108/ijmhsc-05-2021-0045
Publisher site
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Abstract

This study aims to focus on the avoidance and anxiety attachment patterns among unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) after resettlement in Norway. The authors explored the extent of stability and change in these attachment patterns and the role of demographic and interpersonal predictors of change in levels of attachment insecurity.Design/methodology/approachThree waves of data were analyzed with latent growth curve modeling. The sample consisted of 918 refugees who had arrived in Norway as unaccompanied minor asylum seekers and were granted residence. Of the initial sample, 82% were male and the mean age was 18.6 years (SD = 2.61).FindingsResults revealed substantial stability in attachment patterns: anxiety patterns did not change over time, while avoidance patterns increased, but only marginally.Research limitations/implicationsA large sample of URMs revealed rather stabile attachment patterns over time, underlining the need for social support that fosters their adjustment processes best. More research is needed to clarify the mechanism underlying the stability and change in attachment patterns and to understand better how these young people can be supported emotionally during their resettlement process in the absence of parental care.Social implicationsHost societies could perhaps invest more in promoting successful and sustainable adult relationships for unaccompanied refugees approaching the age of 18 years. This may help them to cope better with acculturation stressors and negative past experiences and may thereby improve their future mental health and social relationships.Originality/valueTargeting competencies to develop and maintain close relationships may be particularly important for URM’s, because this may alleviate risks for mental health related to past and current stressors as well as loneliness. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study is the first to investigate stability and change in attachment insecurity among unaccompanied refugees.

Journal

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care – Emerald Publishing

Published: Mar 10, 2022

Keywords: Attachment; Unaccompanied refugee minors; Longitudinal analyses

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