Enhancing need satisfaction to reduce psychological distress in Syrian refugees.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Becoming a refugee is a potent risk factor for indicators of psychological distress such as depression, generalized stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), though research into this vulnerable population has been scant, with even less work focusing on interventions. The current study applied principles from self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000) to develop and test an intervention aimed at increasing need-satisfying experiences in refugees of Syrian civil unrest. METHOD: Forty-one refugees who fled Syria during the past 24 months and resettled in Jordan participated in the study and were randomly assigned to receive the intervention or a neutral comparison. RESULTS: The 1-week-long intervention alleviated some of the need frustration likely associated with refugee status, a major aim of the intervention, and also lowered refugees' self-reported symptoms of depression and generalized stress as compared to the comparison condition, though it did not reduce symptoms of PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: Discussion focuses on how these findings speak to the universal importance of need satisfaction for mental health, and how need-satisfying experiences can help buffer against the profound stress of being a refugee. Avenues for longer-term or more intensive interventions that may target more severe outcomes of refugee experiences, such as PTSD symptoms, are also discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Basic needs should at times direct individuals' actions, leading people to proactively seek activities, goals, and relationships in which they can experience volition, mastery, and connection, and to avoid need-frustrating counterparts.
“Consistent with the growth-instead of deficit-oriented character of basic needs within BPNT, people would have a propensity to actively seek activities, goals, and relationships in which they can experience a sense of volition, mastery, and connection, and to avoid need frustrating counterparts (Laporte et al. 2019;Weinstein et al. 2016a).”
From Basic psychological need theory: Advancements, critical themes, and future directions (2020) · cites this paper as Weinstein et al. 2016a
Specific behaviors denoting psychological need satisfaction include forming harmonious relationships, building rapport, steadily extending one's skills, and pursuing one's core interests.
“Examples of specific behaviors denoting psychological need satisfaction include the formation of harmonious relationships and building rapport (Baker et al. 2020), steadily extending one's skills, or pursuing one's core interests (Weinstein et al. 2016a).”
From Basic psychological need theory: Advancements, critical themes, and future directions (2020) · cites this paper as Weinstein et al. 2016a
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Basic psychological need theory: Advancements, critical themes, and future directions
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- Authors
- Weinstein, N., Khabbaz, F., & Legate, N.
- Affiliations
- University of Essex (GB)
- Illinois Institute of Technology (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
- Published
- 2016-07
- Volume
- 84
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 645-650
- ISSN
- 0022-006X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-2117
- OpenAlex
- W2325519741
- Cited by
- 111
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 7
- FWCI
- 12.96
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (acceptedVersion)
- CentAUR (University of Reading) (acceptedVersion)
- ORCA Online Research @Cardiff (Cardiff University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Motivation and Self-Concept in Sports
- Social Sciences › Education › Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees
- Keywords
- Syrian refugees, need satisfaction, self-determination theory, psychological distress, depression, generalized stresses, post-traumatic stress disorder, refugee mental health, need frustration, intervention development
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Depression, Female, Humans, Jordan, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Refugees, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress, Psychological, Syria, Personal Autonomy
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