A Qualitative Study of Immigration Trauma, Posttraumatic Growth, and the College Experience Among MENA Immigrant Students

<p>Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrant students who are seeking to earn a higher education in the United States have to navigate acculturative stressors and systemic barriers. Prior research has focused primarily on the challenges MENA immigrant students experience without deeply exploring how these students adapt and grow. The focus in this qualitative study was to understand how MENA immigrant college students experience and make meaning of their academic journeys. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the academic experiences of seven MENA immigrant college students in the United States and assess how acculturative stressors, personal strengths, coping strategies, and resilience factors shaped their academic outcomes. Through a phenomenological approach, data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis. The findings indicated the students entered the college setting already experiencing significant acculturative stressors, including language barriers, cultural adjustment, financial strain, discrimination, and family separation, in addition to institutional challenges like limited guidance and difficulties adjusting to academic institutions in the United States. Participants demonstrated adaptive coping through help-seeking behaviors, determination, self-advocacy, and faith-based practices to support their academic engagement and develop post traumatic growth. The participating MENA immigrant students exhibited an academic trajectory of an initial struggle followed by improved performance, increased confidence, and long-term growth and showed an appreciation for educational opportunities. Implications for this study reflect the need for culturally responsive and preemptive support systems within higher education for MENA immigrant students.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Psy.D. Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Public Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Clinical Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2026

Author dc:creator

• Elkhidir, Braa A

Contributors dc:contributor

• Sandra G. Zakowski, PhD
• William J. Filstead, PhD
• Brad Olson, PhD

• Immigration Trauma
• MENA
• PTG
• Immigrant college students
• African Studies
• Clinical Psychology
• Community Psychology
• Migration Studies
• Multicultural Psychology
• Other International and Area Studies
• Politics and Social Change
• Social Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/diss/975

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.nl.edu:diss-2047