Dzenana Kartal|Nathan Alkemade|Litza Kiropoulos
Trauma and Mental Health in Resettled Refugees: Mediating Effect of Host Language Acquisition on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms
University of Melbourne|Monash University|Monash Health|University of Melbourne|Monash University
study examined relationship traumatic exposure host language acquisition mental health posttraumatic stress depressive anxiety symptoms longterm resettled refugees participants included community sample bosnian refugees n 138 55 male mean age 40 years old resettled australia austria average 18 years prior two mediation models tested based two competing theories model examined whether language acquisition mediates relationship traumatic exposure mental health problems experienced refugees model b examined whether mental health symptoms mediate relationship exposure traumatic events acquisition host language model fit data well cfi 100 srmr 017 rmsea lt 001 2 p 526 model b rejected acceptable model data cfi 556 srmr 136 rmsea 352 model indirect pathway trauma mental health via language acquisition significant ptsd 067 p 028 anxiety symptoms 063 p 026 depression symptoms 048 p 071 intervention strategies aimed improving host language acquisition may important successful adaptation daily living host country also improve mental health traumatized refugees