The Impact of Coaching on Refugee Well-being: Results from a Social Experiment with Housing Support

Data were collected and analysed with qualitative methods (in-depth interviews) and with quantitative methods (the WHO-5 well-being questionnaire) at three points: immediately after all participants received the housing provision(Phase 1), immediately after the experimental group finished with coaching (Phase 2), and 3 months after the experimental group finished with coaching (Phase 3). The findings show that coaching statistically improved the well-being of refugees and that this positive effect continued to increase after phase 2.

The well-being of the control group remained the same throughout the study. The study concludes first that coaching may increase the well-being of refugees when their housing needs are met and second, that a "housing first" approach may be an enabler of the positive effect of coaching on the well-being of refugees.