Changes in Shared Decision-Making Roles and Perceived Stress in Syrian Refugee Parents Resettled in the Greater Toronto Area: A Cross-Sectional Study

Little is known concerning the impact of adjusting to new social roles on stress for Syrian refugee parents after resettlement. This thesis explored changes in shared decision-making roles (day-to-day, financial, and major life decisions) and the relationship of those changes to perceived stress among 148 Syrian refugee parents after resettling in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) using a generalized estimated equation (GEE) model. An acculturative shift was observed among those participants who reported 'toward shared,’ and among parents who were classified as ‘not shared’, the majority were father dominance. In families in which both parents were unemployed, those who ‘always shared’ financial decisions had significantly lower perceived stress than those whose financial decisions were ‘toward shared’. These findings suggest that understanding the cultural contexts of gender roles and the impact of acculturation may help promote better post-migration strategies for Syrian refugee parents.