Forced migration-induced diminished social networks and support, and its impact on the emotional wellbeing of older refugees in Western countries: A scoping review

Abstract

As the number of refugees continues to increase globally, so does the number of older adults forced to migrate from their home region to Western countries. Many of these older refugees lose their social networks and support to the events leading to forced migration and may be unable to recreate them once resettled. We used Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) framework to explore how forced migration has diminished the social networks and support of older refugees in Western countries and its impact on their emotional well-being. Eight databases were searched for the review; abstracts were reviewed using Rayyan QCRi(c) before the full-text review. A total of 25 studies were included in the final analysis, and findings revealed that forced migration reduced the quantity of social networks and the quality of social support older refugees received. The reduced social network and support led to social isolation, increased migration-related grief, and mental health challenges. Advances in digital technology are not yet capable of filling the support gap. With this, we hope to inform future research on the social support needs of older refugees and raise awareness of the need for humanitarian support intervention to cushion the impact of the migration-induced loss of social networks and support.

Keywords: Migration-induced loss; Older refugees; Social networks; Social support; Wellbeing.