Religious Coping, Resilience, and Involuntary Displacement: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of the Experience of Syrian and Palestinian Refugees in Jordan

Recovery efforts for those in refugee crises or displacement situations often prioritize physical health and safety, whereas psychological well-being is secondary in consideration. Specifically, religious coping has been associated with adaptive psychological outcomes. However, previous literature predominantly centers on Christianity, neglecting other prominent religions, such as Islam. A mixed-methods investigation was conducted to examine the relationships between Islamic religious coping (religious struggle, positive religious coping, and negative religious coping) and resilience of refugees in Jordan. Participants included Palestinian and Syrian refugees living in Jordan in 2014. Quantitative statistical analyses (N = 110), as well as qualitative analysis of interview data (N = 13), were used to assess the relationship between self-reported religious coping, and resiliency. Results suggest that religious coping does contribute and play a unique role in psychological resilience among a sample of adult Muslim refugees.

Automated summary

Recovery efforts for refugees often overlook psychological well-being but religious coping plays a crucial role in resilience, with previous research focusing mostly on Christianity and neglecting other religions such as Islam.