Predictors of refugee adjustment Hahn et al

In light of the recent worldwide migration of refugees, determinants of a more or less successful integration are heavily discussed, but reliable empirical investigations are scarce and have often focused on sociodemographic factors. In the present study, we explore the role of several individual characteristics for refugee adjustment in the areas of institutional, interpersonal and intrapersonal adaptation. In a sample of 4,527 refugees (M = 33.6 years, 38% women), we investigated the predictive power of sociodemographic characteristics, cognitive skills and personality factors. Both, cognitive skills and personality, showed incremental predictive validity beyond sociodemographic factors for refugee adjustment comparable across contextual factors. The study underscores the importance of personality providing important implications for understanding integration processes and optimizing interventions on personal, social, and societal levels.