The impact of coaching on refugee well‐being: Results from a social experiment with housing support

Abstract

This study investigates whether coaching enhances the well‐being of refugees after their housing needs are met. Forty‐two refugees in Greece participated in a year‐long project, with participants matched on basic characteristics and randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Both groups received 1 year of free housing, while the experimental group also received coaching. Housing was treated as a confounding variable, with coaching as the experimental intervention. Data were collected at three phases: immediately after housing was provided, after coaching, and 3 months after coaching ended. For ethical reasons, the control group received coaching after data collection. Mixed methods, using the WHO‐5 well‐being questionnaire and qualitative interviews, were used for data analysis. Results showed that coaching significantly improved the well‐being of the experimental group, while the control group's well‐being remained unchanged. Additionally, refugee well‐being of the experimental group continued to increase between Phase 2 and Phase 3. Interpreted through a community psychology lens, the findings suggest that the combination of structural (housing) and relational supports (coaching) contributes to the integration of refugees by enhancing refugees' sense of stability and by strengthening their empowerment and agency.