Refugee health in Germany: The interplay of resilience, discrimination and loneliness

Abstract

For decades, the dominant narrative of refugee health focused on trauma, persecution and displacement, portraying refugees as especially vulnerable. Yet, this study of refugees in Germany highlights a vital but overlooked factor: resilience. Drawing on data from approximately six thousand adults in the IAB-BAMF-SOEP Survey of Refugees in Germany, it examines how perceived discrimination, loneliness and resilience toge ther influence physical and mental health. The structural equation model confirms that both discrimination and loneliness are strong negative pre dictors of health, and importantly, discrimination indirectly erodes health by increasing loneliness, creating a vicious cycle of social withdrawal and stress. Resilience emerges as a protective asset: it directly supports bet ter health outcomes, and reduces the perception of discrimination. Ho wever, resilience does not significantly reduce loneliness, indicating that isolation, based on fragmented social networks and cultural isolation, re mains untreated by individual strength alone. These findings suggest that host countries like Germany should go beyond deficit-oriented models and adopt policies that enforce resilience, while simultaneously targeting structural discrimination and facilitating inclusive social networks. In doing so, they can unlock the hidden potential of refugee populations to sustain their own well-being, rather than simply facing the adversity.