Abstract
Adolescents who immigrate face particular adjustment challenges. This study investigated (a) levels of wellbeing and depression in migrant adolescents and their Australian native counterparts, (b) associations between adjustment and four psychosocial resources, and (c) moderating effects of country of birth on the relationships between these resources and adjustment indices. The sample ( N = 327) included students born in Australia, English-speaking countries other than Australia, and non-English-speaking countries. Students born outside of Australia in English-speaking countries reported highest mean levels of wellbeing and ethnic identity. Ethnic identity did not have the expected protective effects on migrant adolescent adjustment. In contrast, a sense of school membership affected Australian-born adolescents more positively than it did their overseas-born peers. The results raise questions regarding sources of support and connectedness that might particularly help migrant adolescents.
Highlights
Adolescents who immigrate face particular adjustment challenges
Our research investigated the contribution to adolescent adjustment of four psychosocial resources or protective factors: ethnic identity, parental support, peer support, and sense of school membership
We found that adolescents born in an English-speaking country other than Australia reported the greatest wellbeing, while there was no difference in the wellbeing of adolescents born in Australia and those born in non-English-speaking countries
Summary
Adolescents who immigrate face particular adjustment challenges. This study investigated (a) levels of wellbeing and depression in migrant adolescents and their Australian native counterparts, (b) associations between adjustment and four psychosocial resources, and (c) moderating effects of country of birth on the relationships between these resources and adjustment indices. While some studies (e.g., Alati, Najman, Shuttlewood, Williams, & Bor, 2003) report no differences in the mental health of migrant and non-migrant youth, much of the research, the earlier research, suggested that migrant youths are at a greater risk of distress and maladjustment (Harrison, Wilson, Pine, Chan, & Buriel, 1990; Hicks, Lalonde, & Pepler, 1993; James, 1997; Shoshami, Nakash, Zubida, & Harper, 2016) This migrant morbidity effect has been attributed to many factors
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