Lykourgos, Madalena;
(2023)
Exploring the Impact of Managing Bicultural Identities on Wellbeing in the UK Cypriot Refugee Community: ‘Being Both and Being Neither’.
Doctoral thesis (D.Clin.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Introduction: In a continually diversifying nation, millions of migrants navigate the process of integrating to their new host country. Despite some research discussing the psychological implications of migration, little is known about the impact of belonging to and negotiating two distinct cultural identities on one’s wellbeing. Particularly, this is the case in communities where resettlement was not intended to be permanent. This study explored bicultural identity integration (BII) and psychological wellbeing in the Cypriot refugee community. Method: The qualitative approach included semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. To help characterise the sample, participants completed a questionnaire, providing demographic information, BII score and initial migration experiences. Results: Common themes suggested perceived temporality of resettlement, isolation and uncertainty minimised motivations to integrate. Depression and trauma symptoms were described, with the caveat that psychological support was neither available, nor would it likely have been accessed due to stigma and de-prioritisation of help-seeking. Having known relatives or friends in the UK helped to ease the transition, though partially contributed to further segregation, as networks remained within the self-contained community. Moreover, it appeared that younger migration age and parental accompaniment mitigated some of the challenges of managing multiple cultures. Conclusions: Bicultural identities appeared to fluctuate over time depending on motivation to integrate, perceived threat and support available. This also had implications for mental wellbeing, particularly during early adjustment to the new host country. Despite length of residence, participants reported continually changing bicultural identities in different contexts. Further investigation will inform development of clinical support that may benefit newly migrating individuals and longstanding bicultural residents.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Clin.Psy |
| Title: | Exploring the Impact of Managing Bicultural Identities on Wellbeing in the UK Cypriot Refugee Community: ‘Being Both and Being Neither’ |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > Div of Psychology and Lang Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10176840 |
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