Acculturation stress and social support for young refugees in regional areas

In this paper, we discuss acculturation stress and social capital experienced by Congolese young refugees in regional Australia. Seventy percent of Australia's humanitarian entrants are young people; many settle in regional areas. However, the perspectives of young refugees in regional areas have received little attention. Qualitative in-depth interviewing and photo elicitation methods were conducted with sixteen Congolese young people. Findings revealed that these young people experienced unique acculturation stress including language problems, a lack of employment opportunities and difficulties accessing further education, impacting on their integration into Australian society. However, they relied on a range of social support from their friends, family, their ethnic community and the wider regional community to cope with these issues. This social support helped to strengthen their social capital and enhance their wellbeing.