Housing and wellbeing: Long-term precarious housing trajectories following humanitarian migration and resettlement

IF 4.9 2区医学 Q1 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Social Science & Medicine Pub Date : 2025-03-11 DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117943

Sheenagh McShane, Ang Li, Karen Block, Rebecca Bentley

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Housing experiences upon settlement can shape refugee mental health and wellbeing; however, little is known of how housing precarity evolves as refugees establish their new lives and how it affects their wellbeing. We use longitudinal data (Building a New Life in Australia, n = 2,399) over five years (2013–18) to identify refugee housing trajectories in relation to housing precarity (measured by unaffordability, unsuitability, and insecurity) and mental wellbeing. Using multi-trajectory modelling, two distinct housing trajectories were identified: precariously (12 %) and well-housed (88 %). Precariously housed refugees reported significantly worse mental health (29 % higher risk in psychological distress, (95 %CI: 7 %, 51 %). Being female, financial hardship, low social support, and no support finding housing were risk factors for persistent precarious housing. Benchmarked against national data, the housing circumstances of refugees were less favorable than those of the lowest income quintile Australian population. Findings suggest the need for additional settlement support and access to secure housing to promote refugee wellbeing.

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来源期刊

Social Science & Medicine PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

9.10

自引率

5.60%

发文量

762

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Social Science & Medicine provides an international and interdisciplinary forum for the dissemination of social science research on health. We publish original research articles (both empirical and theoretical), reviews, position papers and commentaries on health issues, to inform current research, policy and practice in all areas of common interest to social scientists, health practitioners, and policy makers. The journal publishes material relevant to any aspect of health from a wide range of social science disciplines (anthropology, economics, epidemiology, geography, policy, psychology, and sociology), and material relevant to the social sciences from any of the professions concerned with physical and mental health, health care, clinical practice, and health policy and organization. We encourage material which is of general interest to an international readership.