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Studiare il fenomeno delle migrazioni dall’Africa Occidentale verso l’Europa implica la comprensione dei profili delle diverse popolazioni attualmente in movimento. Molte ricerche sul benessere e la salute dei migranti sono state finora condotte su popolazioni che, con successo, hanno raggiunto i paesi di destinazione. Al contrario, le esperienze e l’impatto in termini psicologici di coloro che falliscono nel progetto migratorio sono un tema ancora poco indagato ma di grande rilevanza. Il presente studio quali-quantitativo ha come obiettivo l'analisi del materiale narrativo, raccolto attraverso interviste in profondità, in un campione di migranti di ritorno (n=477) ospitati nei campi profughi della regione di Agadez e Niamey (Niger). Seguendo un approccio pragmatista, l’analisi matematica dei dati testuali ha permesso l’indagine di tre aree di interesse: 1) ragioni che hanno spinto i partecipanti a partire (push-factor), 2) ricadute del viaggio in termini di benessere soggettivo e 3) aspettative di realizzazione personale legate al ritorno nei paesi di origine. L'analisi tematica gerarchica rivela due dimensioni principali (fattori personali e fattori socio-strutturali) e sette temi di secondo-ordine che descrivono le motivazioni a lasciare il proprio paese. L’analisi delle corrispondenze mostra come le narrazioni legate al fallimento del progetto migratorio siano spesso legate alle dimensioni di crescita personale e di creazione di nuove opportunità. Al contrario, esperienze di deprivazione e trauma risultano essere associate a sofferenza e maggiori difficoltà legate al ritorno. La validità ecologica dello studio è discussa in termini di pratiche di intervento nei contesti di crisi ed emergenza migratoria.

Objectives. Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees victims of war and terror are reported to suffer of a wide range of psychological sequalae. Little is known about subjective well-being as a determinant of good mental health in this population. Our pilot study wants to investigate how domains of subjective well-being can trigger psychological functioning and good mental health in a population of Nigerien IDP and Nigerian refugee adolescents. We hypothesized that levels of subjective well-being act as protective factors against psychological distress of participants. Methods: 165 ( Male/female 43/57%) Sub-saharan IDPs and Refugees were administered self-reported measures able to detect psychological distress (PD, General Health Questionnaire, GHQ-12) and subjective well-being (SWB, Subjective Wellbeing Assessment Scale, SWBAS). SWBAS measures domains of SWB (positive experience, sociality, spirituality, education, economic satisfaction, negative functioning, self-efficacy, security and hope for the future). Three steps hierarchical regression analysis was carried-out with gender and age as controlling variables and psychological distress as target variable. Results: Individuals showed a low PD (M= 0.93; sd= 0.36). The regression model explained 30% of the variance (F = 4.87, p < .001) showing a robust statistical direct effect of SWB on PD (in particular dimensions of Positive Experience, Negative functioning and Hope for the future) and a relative effect of age (younger adolescents showed better WB and PD levels than older ones). Conclusions: Younger age and opportunities of experiencing positive life events seem to guarantee psychological functioning, increase hope for the future and positively trigger PD among IDPs and refugees .

This study sought to qualitatively explore dimensions of human insecurity and their effect on the quality of life as an antecedent of general well-being and mental health among a group of young internally displaced people (IDPs) living in refugee camps in the region of Diffa, Niger. Thirty-six IDPs (56% female, 44% male; MAge = 15; SD = 1.96) took part in 9 focus group discussions in which they were asked to describe two types of people, one with poor and one with good general well-being after displacement. Additionally, participants were asked to comment on their personal experiences. Five main themes emerged from the thematic content analysis (TCA): Experience of human insecurity during the internal displacement, sources of functioning and protective factors, coping strategies, adverse health and mental health outcomes, and positive mental health outcomes depicted the participants’ perceptions and concerns. Mental health and quality of life proved to be interlocked constructs, where the psychological dimension is affected and contextualized by human insecurity, general well-being, and human rights–related factors.

Following a socio-ecological approach focused on multidimensional aspects of psychological functioning, this pilot study investigated the relationship between subjective well-being across different domains (e.g., positive experience, social relations, human insecurity, negative experience, self-competence, hope for the future) and psychological distress, in a sample (n = 225) of internally displaced (internally displaced people, IDPs) adolescents hosted in refugee camps in Niger. The Subjective Well-Being Assessment Scale and General Health Questionnaire-12 were administered to the sample by trained interviewers. Participants displayed a low level of psychological distress despite the multiple traumatic experiences they had faced and ongoing stressful conditions at the host camps. Positive experience was found to act as an effective protection factor, enhancing psychological functioning, and mitigating psychological distress. A preserved sense of self-competence and hope for the future were confirmed to play a key role in protecting adolescents from the effects of psychological distress. Youths seem to maintain positive psychological functioning when subjective well-being and other personal and relational resources are active as protection factors.

In our work, we explored factors of outward migration and the factors that drive migrants to return to their countries of origin. All participants were recruited at transit centers in Niger. Interviews were analyzed using a Quantitative Text Analysis methodology. Results showed that the push factors are organized along two dimensions, economic (job search, breadwinner, poverty) and subjective psychological/social components (disruption of social networks, educational, personal ambitions). The decision to return is represented by a dimension of human insecurity (repression, prison, death) and internal/external reasons ranging from spontaneous to forced return. Implications for social work are discussed.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report a real-life empirical case and discuss some caveats emerged in measuring subjective well-being (SWB) in an understudied population of adolescents refugees from West Africa. Design/methodology/approach During the process of translation and cultural adaptation of the subjective well-being assessment scale in the target population, the model of measurement presented some weakness with regard to content validity criteria. Findings This leads to a partial revision of the model and the development of new locally-based domains of SWB. Originality/value Context-specific factors’ robustness showed the dynamic and culture-informed nature of the SWB construct. Practical and theoretical implications of using quantitative questionnaires in non-western contexts characterized by high grades of insecurity and instability will be discussed.