The Role of Social Connectedness in Buffering the Effects of Discrimination on Post-Trauma Cognitions in Forcibly Displaced Muslims

Introduction: Among trauma-exposed, forcibly displaced Muslims, very little is known about how social connectedness, or perceived interpersonal connection and belonging, may alter the relationship between discrimination and negative posttraumatic cognitions. Discrimination may aggravate trauma psychopathology (Helms et al., 2010); however, social connectedness may buffer its negative effects (Juang & Alvarez, 2010). Objective: We examined whether higher religious and racial/ethnic discrimination would be associated with stronger negative posttraumatic cognitions and whether stronger social connectedness may adaptively buffer this relationship. Method: Trauma exposed individuals (N = 99) who identified as Muslim and as a refugee, asylum seeker, or internally displaced person participated in the study. Measures of discrimination, social connection, and posttraumatic cognitions were completed. Results: Higher discrimination was moderately associated with stronger negative trauma-related cognitions (r = .40, p < .001) and with lower social connectedness (r = -.32, p = .001). Social connectedness moderated the relationship between discrimination and posttraumatic cognitions, such that at lower levels of social connectedness there was a stronger relationship between discrimination and posttraumatic cognitions (-2SD: b = .32, -1SD: b = .23, M: b = .14), this was not present at higher levels of social connectedness. Conclusions: Connectedness to one's minority group may be an important protective factor by modulating the effects of discrimination on posttrauma adjustment. Clinical Impact Statement This study suggests that connectedness to one's social group, especially in times of higher discrimination, is crucial for forcibly displaced Muslims with a history of trauma. That is, social connectedness may mitigate the association between discrimination and negative trauma-related cognitions.