Forced to uproot their lives in search of safety, Syrian refugee families have resettled in the United States (U.S.) with hope for a promising future. When they arrive to the United States, they are challenged with new obstacles, including learning a new language, making friends, and meeting academic expectations. This dissertation includes three studies, designed to first explore general experience, then measure specific influencing factors that influence refugee youth's social-emotional wellbeing. The first study was a systematic review utilizing the ecological framework to organize risk and protective factors of resettled refugee youth acculturating to a host country. A limitation found within the literature included the lack of research on refugee children from Middle Eastern countries. This systematic literature review was published in the School Psychology International. Based on the limitations of the first study, the second study explored the integration experience of resettled Syrian refugee youth in the U.S. This study was qualitative, using parent and adolescent focus groups to understand the resettlement experience of adolescents. I applied the ecological framework in the analysis and identification of the many subthemes that impact their integration experience. Notable findings included the impact of financial stress on the family system, gratitude for the many opportunities found within the schools, and expression of resilience and hope. Finally, in the third study, I quantitatively identified the predictive relationship between acculturative stress and resilience with mental health outcomes and academic performance. A hierarchical multiple regression revealed that resilience predicts a greater proportion of the variance in internalization symptoms relative to acculturative stress. A relationship between predictors and academic performance was not found. This dissertation concludes with a summary of all studies, implications for school psychology practice, and recommendations for future research.
