How religious identity affects life satisfaction of Afghan immigrants in Turkey: The role of social support and discrimination

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between religious identity and life satisfaction, exploring the potential mediating roles of perceived social support and perceived discrimination. The study included 182 Afghan immigrants (age range: 18–65 years, with mean age = 29.73 ± 9.16) residing in Agri, Turkey. They completed self-reported measures of religious identity, perceived social support, perceived discrimination, and life satisfaction using a paper-and-pencil format. The results suggest that religious identity is positively associated with perceived social support and negatively associated with perceived discrimination and that both perceived social support and perceived discrimination play fully mediating roles in the relationship between religious identity and life satisfaction. Individuals with a stronger religious identity are more likely to experience higher levels of perceived social support and lower levels of perceived discrimination, which, in turn, contribute to greater life satisfaction. The findings suggest that both perceived social support and perceived discrimination explain the relationship between religious identity and life satisfaction. These findings have important implications for individuals and communities seeking to enhance life satisfaction among migrants with strong religious identities and highlight the significance of considering perceived social support and perceived discrimination as key mediators in the relationship between religious identity and well-being.