IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/socpsy/v71y2025i2p307-314.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Asylum-seeker women: Coping strategies and mental wellbeing

Author

Listed:
  • Sara Shishehgar
  • Leila Gholizadeh
  • Michelle DiGiacomo
  • Patricia Mary Davidson

Abstract

Background: Asylum seekers in Australia are subjected to various punitive measures that can affect their psychological wellbeing. The capacity of asylum seekers to adapt and cultivate effective coping strategies can enhance their resilience, facilitate their settlement processes and promote their overall mental health. Aim: This study aims to explore the coping strategies employed by women who are asylum-seekersthat have the potential to enhance their resilience post migration. Method: A semi-structured qualitative study was conducted with asylum-seeker women from Iran. Data were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis. Results: Seventeen participants described their experiences of applying various strategies to enhance their coping ability, resilience and maintain their mental wellbeing when facing ongoing challenges. Problem-solving strategies included social engagement, adjusting life plans and seeking support from formal and informal resources. Emotion-focussed strategies were positive thinking and maintaining hope, avoidance and spirituality. While emotion-focussed strategies enabled the women to manage their stresses temporarily, problem-solving strategies allowed them to effectively address the challenges they faced after migration. Conclusion: Providing supportive resources for asylum seekers, removing stigma and developing community ties may assist individuals in improving their coping skills, resilience and mental wellbeing.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara Shishehgar & Leila Gholizadeh & Michelle DiGiacomo & Patricia Mary Davidson, 2025. "Asylum-seeker women: Coping strategies and mental wellbeing," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 71(2), pages 307-314, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:71:y:2025:i:2:p:307-314
    DOI: 10.1177/00207640241291498
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640241291498
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/00207640241291498?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:sae:socpsy:v:71:y:2025:i:2:p:307-314. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.