title: Two sides of the same coin: Factors that support and challenge the wellbeing of refugees resettled in a small urban center.
abstract: For refugees who undergo permanent resettlement, characteristics of the resettlement context influence their ability to heal from pre-migration persecution and achieve a sense of wellbeing. This ethnographic study examines the impact of place-related determinants on the sense of wellbeing experienced by refugees resettled in a small urban center. The paper reports on the results of in-depth interviews that were conducted with ten former refugees in St. John's, Canada. We found that challenges and coping resources both emerged from the same aspects of the city, including its built environment, natural environment, history, culture, and low ethnic diversity. Future research should attend to how aspects of the resettlement context can simultaneously challenge and support refugees' sense of wellbeing.
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland Health Sciences Centre, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada A1B 3V6. Electronic address: reb288@mun.ca.
authors.forename: Rowan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: El-Bialy
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health and Humanities, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland Health Sciences Centre, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada A1B 3V6. Electronic address: shree.mulay@med.mun.ca.
authors.forename: Shree
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mulay
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D002170:Canada; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diversity; Environment; Refugee; Resettlement; Urban; Wellbeing