Life Satisfaction and Hope in Conflict-Displaced Children: Influence of Individual Factors, Microsystem Factors and Humanitarian Interventions

Abstract:Limited information exists on life satisfaction and hope of internally displaced children in conflict-affected areas. Using both the ecological and resilience frameworks on children's well-being, this study investigates the associations between age, gender, parent-child relationship and livelihood support on life satisfaction and hope of conflict affected children. The study focuses on children aged 7-18 years (n=384) within two states in Northeast Nigeria using regression analysis. The children completed a self-report survey addressing diverse questions, such as age, gender, parent-child relationship, family type, relationship to household head, livelihood support, life satisfaction and hope. Parent-child relationship and living within an extended family system were positively associated with higher life satisfaction and higher levels of hope. Economic stress negatively influenced life satisfaction while livelihood support was positively associated with hope. Our findings suggest that intervention programs should focus on both livelihood factors as well as a positive parent-child relationship in order to produce a positive impact on the life satisfaction and hope of displaced children.