This study examined the relationship between traumatic exposure, host language acquisition and mental health (posttraumatic stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms) in long-term resettled refugees. Participants included a community sample of Bosnian refugees (N = 138, 55% male, mean age of 40 years old) that had resettled in Australia and Austria on average 18 years prior. Two mediation models were tested based on two competing theories. Model A examined whether language acquisition mediates the relationship between traumatic exposure and mental health problems experienced by refugees. Model B examined whether mental health symptoms mediate the relationship between exposure to traumatic events and the acquisition of host language. Model A fit the data well (CFI = 1.00, SRMR =.017, RMSEA <.001, χ 2 p =.526), while Model B was rejected as an acceptable model for the data (CFI =.556, SRMR =.136, RMSEA =.352). In Model A, the indirect pathway from trauma to mental health via language acquisition was significant for PTSD (β =.067, p =.028) and anxiety symptoms (β =.063, p =.026) but not depression symptoms (β =.048, p =.071). Intervention strategies aimed at improving host language acquisition may be important not only in successful adaptation to daily living in the host country, but also to improve the mental health of traumatized refugees. © The Author(s) 2018.

Migration language acquisition Depression posttraumatic stress disorder Refugees War Anxiety trauma

anxiety depression Models, Psychological psychological model refugee anxiety disorder Australia war exposure human Self Report Life Change Events Refugees war language ability Warfare middle aged ethnic group controlled study life event Aged Austria language Young Adult Humans psychology Adolescent male female Aged, 80 and over very elderly psychological rating scale Psychiatric Status Rating Scales prevalence Article Australian Bosnian Austrian Bosnian adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic disease severity