This study aims to portray acculturation experiences and psychological well-being of Syrian refugees attending universities in Turkey. We studied Syrian university students’ contexts of acculturation that shape their acculturation experiences; their acculturation orientations; psychological and social wellbeing in the migration context association with their intergroup perceptions using semi structured oral interviews among 15 students. The research revealed that the majority of the Syrian university students have chosen the integration strategy in the public domain; and the separation strategy in the private domain as their acculturation orientations. Majority of the participants reported high levels of life satisfaction in Turkey and described a positive influence of the refugee experience on their lives. In contrast, they described negative psychological states such as experiencing depressive feelings and reexperiencing the traumatic events through intrusive distressing thoughts about the past; and poor social well-being such as low levels of sense of connectedness and inclusion in the new context.

DOI: 10.1037/dhe0000148
ISSN: 1938-8926