Social Support

Migration, and people moving countries and cultures, is now seen as a major social issue. This is particularly relevant to Europe, but it is also affecting the UK. As the conflicts in the Middle East continue, there are more and more migrants displaced from their homelands and forced to flee to other countries. Once they arrive, however, it is necessary to adapt to the new culture. This is a time consuming process and can be difficult, especially if the new culture speaks a different language. Children are especially affected as the UK is committed to ensuring that all children have the right to be educated, under the United Nations Convention specifically regarding the Rights of the Child (UN, 1989). However, it is may be more difficult initially for refugees to access higher education, because they are not able to afford the fees; once they are given refugee status, then they are eligible for the same fee

remission as the home students (Amnesty International, 2013). The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR, 2016) estimates that less than one percent of all refugees globally have access to higher education and the importance of university education for young refugees should not be underestimated as these young people are the future leaders of their countries, currently in conflict (Watenpaugh, Fricke & King, 2014; WENR, 2015). Migrants are finding assistance via social support in assimilation (Lu, 2012); the assimilation process causes strain on migrants physically, psychologically, and socially but social support systems help ease migrants into their new surroundings. Social support helps alleviate stress, produces feelings of stability and self-worth, and provides relationships. Immigrating into a new country also puts a strain on the family and social support is needed to help family members adjust individually and as a unit.

Migrating and assimilating produces many avenues of stress which differ between men and women. Men are said to develop stress mainly from work-related issues whereas women tend to develop stress from handling issues that arise within the family (Lu, 2012). It has also been found that three core causes of stressors due to immigrating are uncertainty concerning the future, distress from the lack of job, and exclusion from the new society (Msengi, Arthur- Okor, Killion, & Schoer, 2015). Social support helps decrease the effects of these stressors by offering emotional support. This is seen when extended family members migrate with the family and assist with daily stressors (Lu, 2012). Social support groups can assist in validating the migration process and producing positive coping mechanisms (Msengi et al., 2015).

Extended family members reduce stress in migratory families by providing emotional support and instrumental support. Extended family cohabitating in the migrant household often take on the daily responsibilities of the absent migrant in assisting with daily family responsibilities (Lu, 2012). These family members also offer instrumental support in the form of finances, offering initial accommodations to the migratory family, assistance with the immigration process, and assisting with organizing the necessary documentation (Maydell- Stevens, Masgoret, & Ward, 2016). Social support is a needed resource to immigrants to assist them in assimilating in a psychologically healthy way. By feeling less alienated and more assimilated a migrant will have reduced personal and family stress which in turn will reduce the amount of depression they are feeling (Suarez-Orozco,Birman, Casas, & Vasquez, 2012).

Those immigrating with extended family members have an advantage over those who do not have the in-home social support. Negative psychological impacts of immigrating generally do not manifest immediately but over time, usually one to three years (Lu, 2012). Conversely, families with extended family members have depressive symptoms reduced by half over families who do not, as Lu points out. Without an in-home social support system such as extended family immigrants would need to rely on outside social support or else they will likely develop depressive symptoms, as well as other physical and psychological issues, the longer they are away and living in the new country.

Many immigrants experience psychological issues during the immigration process due to several factors such as losses due to leaving their home country, the inability to successfully resettle in a new environment, nostalgia and other psychological problems, grief, mourning, helplessness, anxiety, depression, and pessimism (Maydell-Stevens et al., 2016). These negative feelings continue until the migrant is able to increase their sense of self-worth. Maydell-Stevens, Masgoret, and Ward (2016) told of one immigrant who claimed that they felt inadequate and suffered from depression until they were able to find a job in their new country; as Maydell-Stevens et al. observed, without being able to feel that were valued, they suffered from negative psychological issues. Furthermore, society at large tends to undervalue immigrants leading many to believe that they are at the bottom of the social structure in their new country and that their only value is to be used by the local established citizens, according to Maydell-Stevenset et al.

Migrants’ self-worth is often increased from the use of social support. Feelings of self-worth were increased after a social support group allowed immigrant women to trade recipes from each member’s respective homeland, opened their meetings to the general public to further integrate the group, and allowed their different cultures to be shared (Msengi et al., 2015). The use of scheduled meetings and group activities helped migrant women from multiple backgrounds to feel included and of value in their new surroundings, according to Msengi, Arthur-Okor, Killion, & Schoer (2015). It has also been shown that while migrant adults tend to create friendships with other members from the same original country, migrant children adopt the new culture faster helping younger immigrants not feel a lack of self-worth like older migrants do (Suarez-Orozco et al., 2012).

If a migrant feels that they belong to a social group outside the main branches of society they may perceive themselves as unwanted or unvalued and can lead to feelings of prejudice and

discrimination (Suarez-Orozco et al., 2012). They found that those belonging to the group feeling like “outsiders” can develop feelings of inclusion via social support by either creating or identifying as a common “in-group” thereby reducing prejudice. This can be a difficult process as even though many migrants were able to successfully assimilate and earn back their sense of belonging, others were never able to resolve this personal loss (Maydell- Stevens et al., 2016).

While the inclusion of extended family members helps a migrant family transition (Landale, Thomas, & Van Hook, 2011; Wilkening, Pinto, & Pastore, 1968), each immigrant needs to develop relationships with the local population in order to feel included in society. Likewise, family members who are left behind also develop physical and mental health issues. For example, parents and spouses left behind by a primary wage earner and caregiver were more likely to develop hypertension and depression (Lu, 2012). Lu also found that women were likely to develop these symptoms more frequently than men who were left behind, possibly from established gender norms. By using social support groups, immigrants can develop relationships with others and have an easier time becoming assimilated into the new society.

Migrant adults need to form positive relationships with other local adults to succeed in their new environment, but it is also crucial for migrant children to develop such relationships. In addition to challenges in learning a new language and applying established learning skills to a new school in a different country, migrant children who do not develop positive relationships with other students and teachers struggle with feeling a sense of belonging, social involvement, motivation, attendance, academic engagement, and achievement (Suarez- Orozco et al., 2012). They found that a sense of belonging for migrant children has an impact on their psychological health, making it equally important that migrant children find social support as older immigrants do.

Both parents and children can have a difficult time adjusting to their new lives, making life at home strained. This arises from the immigration process as a whole, losing their sense of belonging and self-worth, and can also be from having to leave primary and extended family members behind. Even if the parents and children are adjusting to life outside the home it can still be difficult for them to relate to one another. For instance, it can be difficult for the parents to relate to their children’s schoolwork beginning with language and communication barriers and extending to the relationships the parents have with the teachers (Suarez-Orozco

et al., 2012). They argue that many parents can feel embarrassed at including the teachers on the full details of their circumstances and details of the family’s life.

A family may not migrate to the new country together and children may be left behind as well as the spouse. Many migrant families tend to split the family in an effort to increase household wages; both adults may be working in different countries while keeping crops and Lu (2012) found that children left in the country of origin are likely to develop poor mental health. Just as those migrating would need to develop relationships outside of the family to remain emotionally and psychologically healthy, those left behind would also need to develop new relationships.

Social support assists immigrants with their mental health, feelings of stability and self- worth, offering relationships, and helps individuals and families as whole adjust to their new lives (Sosa & Zubieta, 2014). In the immigration process it is paramount that adults and children find a support system, either in the home in the form of extended family or outside the home in support groups and relationships (Msengi et al., 2015). Without a form of social support migrants both young and old both face increased risk of evolving mental and physical health ailments such as depression, stress, and anxiety. It is equally important that those family members left behind also find social support as they are equally likely to develop the same symptoms once primary bread winners and/or spouses leave them behind as they migrate for work. The immigration process is an exhaustive one that takes a physical and emotional toll on those that move and those that stay behind and unless healthy relationships are able to be defined it will lead to those participating in the process to suffer health issues (Salinero-Fort et al., 2011).