Immigrant Adolescents Research Articles

Supporting social emotional learning and wellbeing of displaced adolescents from the middle east: a pilot evaluation of the ‘forward with peers’ intervention

BackgroundA growing literature points to the critical role schools can play in promoting improved psychosocial wellbeing and resilience among first- and second-generation Arab immigrant and refugee adolescents, but few evaluations have examined the effectiveness of culturally adapted, school-based interventions.MethodsWe conducted a pilot evaluation of a culturally adapted social and emotional learning and life skills program, Forward with Peers (FwP), and examined its potential effectiveness for this population. FwP was evaluated across three high schools in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Within each school, one Arabic class was randomly assigned to receive FwP programming and another served as a control. The pilot evaluation sought to examine changes in several mental health and psychosocial outcomes of interest.FindingsImprovements in overall perceived social support (P = 0.045) and perceived social support from someone special in one’s life (0.042) were statistically significant in the treatment as compared to the control group. Comparative improvements were also marginally significant for resilience (P = 0.095) and perceived social support from family (P = 0.074).ConclusionsFindings highlight the potential of FwP and support the growing interest in establishing efficacy of school-based, culturally appropriate SEL programming to improve psychosocial wellbeing among Arab refugee and immigrant adolescents. FwP’s demonstrated improvements in resilience and social support have the potential to prevent mental health disorders and bolster coping mechanisms to minimize adverse consequences in this vulnerable population. Employing a strengths-based approach, FwP offers an alternative intervention to traditional treatment-oriented supports for the proliferation of mental health disorders within this vulnerable population.

Conducting school-based research with newcomer immigrant adolescents: Challenges and solutions.

Newcomer immigrant adolescents (NIA) represent a particularly vulnerable group in the United States, facing numerous stressors placing them at risk for social-emotional and academic concerns. Schools play a critical role in supporting NIA in the United States. Despite this, insufficient research addressing the needs of this group within schools has been conducted. Considering the complexity of engaging in community-based research with marginalized populations, such as NIA, in this article, we elaborate on the challenges we faced during our research with NIA and propose solutions to these challenges. We do so with the goal of promoting continued engagement of such efforts within our field as to better address the needs of NIA within the United States. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Public health nurses' experiences with mental health promotion for adolescent immigrants in schools: Aqualitative study.

This study aimed to explore public health nurses' experiences with mental health promotion for adolescent immigrants in lower secondary and high school, aiming to enhance knowledge and insights for effective mental health promotion. A qualitative design employing a hermeneutic approach was chosen. Thirteen public health nurses were selected using purposive criterion sampling and snowballing. Thematic analysis was applied, adhering to COREQ guidelines for transparency. The research was approved by the Norwegian Centre for Research Data. The guidelines of the National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities were followed. Data were collected through three focus-group interviews (n = 13), using semi-structured interview guides to explore the experiences of public health nurses in promoting mental health among adolescent immigrants. This study identified three key themes: (i) Striving to understand adolescent immigrants' mental health aspects, including both positive and negative aspects; (ii) Different strategies for promoting mental health, viewing adolescents as both recipients and contributors to their well-being; and (iii) Barriers to public health nurses' promotion of mental health, including language, cultural, and knowledge-related obstacles and trust issues. Public health nurses noted that language barriers and trust issues often delayed adolescent immigrants from seeking help for mental health concerns. Cultural competence and empathy were deemed crucial. To meet these needs, public health nurses must build rapport with parents, collaborate with professionals, implement follow-up programmes, and advocate for policy changes. Limitations of this qualitative study include potential bias from the authors' background and non-generalizability of results to other contexts. In conclusion, public health nurses' experiences reveal the need for enhanced cultural competence, language proficiency, and trust-building to better serve adolescent immigrants. Collaborative efforts, follow-up programmes, and policy advocacy are essential to improve mental health promotion in school settings.

Acculturation, Depressive Symptoms, and Friendship Instability among Immigrant Adolescents

Recent scholarship suggests that personal tie instability, that is, the dissolution of old ties and the formation of new ties, may lead to psychological distress. However, this association remains understudied among the immigrant population, for whom acculturation may present unique challenges to both personal tie stability and psychological well-being. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, we investigate the mental health implications of instability in immigrant adolescents’ same-sex best friends, and how it explains the association between acculturation and depressive symptoms. We find that friendship instability was associated with higher depressive symptoms only among immigrant adolescents with a low level of acculturation. For more acculturated adolescents, replacing their original friendship with an interracial friend predicted lower depressive symptoms. These findings imply that friendship instability constitutes a dimension of acculturative stress, with detrimental effects unique to immigrant adolescents in the early stages of acculturation.

Axiological availability and desirability. comparative study between moldovan immigrant adolescents in Italy and Moldovan adolescents in the Republic of Moldova

Nowadays, in common parlance, values are the ideals towards which individuals strive and which guide their existence. Despite the variety of disciplines and different theoretical-methodological approaches in which values are addressed, there seems to be a complete agreement between researchers, namely that values facilitate both understanding of human behavior, relationship of humans to society and their social interactions, as well as the comprehension of how they are generated in a certain society and culture, how they spread and change, along with the mechanisms that lead individuals to adopt some of them, rather than others. Thus, through this paper we will try to answer the following questions: „Is there a defined set of values that today’s adolescents adhere to?” and „How do values relate to each other in today’s young people?”. In this way, we tend to obtain a picture of the psychosocial adaptation of adolescents in the diaspora and in the Republic of Moldova, by assessing the discrepancy between the availability and desirability of life areas.

Challenges in psychological wellbeing for Korean newcomer immigrant adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Challenges in psychological wellbeing for Korean newcomer immigrant adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

A Critical Analysis of Immigrant Children and Adolescents in U.S. Professional Counseling Literature

ABSTRACT In this content analysis, we examined 20 years of peer-reviewed counseling research with immigrant children and adolescents published between 2002–2022. We conducted a comprehensive analysis that included a total of 32 articles from American Counseling Association (ACA) and ACA division journals. We analyzed the articles and identified five overarching themes that shed light on the publication trends and existing gaps in the literature concerning issues of immigrant children and adolescents. Recommendations are presented and discussed for advancing future practice and research in the counseling field.

Investigating adolescent psychological wellbeing in an educational context using PISA 2018 Canadian data.

Adolescent psychological wellbeing has been identified as an important public health priority and one of the major challenges facing young people. However, few studies have examined the wellbeing of Canadian adolescents nationwide in the past decade, and even fewer have focused specifically on immigrant adolescents. This study aims to investigate Canadian adolescent psychological wellbeing (PWB) via nationally representative data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018. We explored what social and educational factors were critical in predicting Canadian adolescents' PWB, how adolescents from immigrant families differed from their non-immigrant peers in their wellbeing, and how adolescents' PWB was related to their academic performance. A total of 22,651 Grade 8 Canadian students who participated PISA 2018 were included in this study (mean age of 15; 49.9% female; 26% immigrant students). Mixed effects modeling was adopted for data analysis. Our results showed that various social and educational factors were associated with adolescent PWB, but these relationships varied depending on which aspect of PWB was examined. Immigrant adolescents were shown to have higher levels of PWB when student attitudes toward immigrants were more positive. Additionally, most aspects of PWB were important for achievement performance. It is important to develop healthy and supportive school and disciplinary climates that foster students' sense of belonging. To further support the PWB of immigrant adolescents, educators can implement activities and integrate learning materials on cultural diversity into curricula, encouraging students to develop positive attitudes toward immigrants. Our findings on the PWB of Canadian adolescents could provide valuable insights for other countries with diverse populations, particularly those with significant immigrant communities.

비이주배경 청소년의 이주민 권리 인정에 대한 국가 수준 제도요인 분석

[Purpose] This study aims to explore how attitudes toward recognizing the diverse rights that immigrants should enjoy as humans change according to the level of institutionalization of equality in a country, with a focus on non-immigrant-background adolescents. Specifically, based on the contact theory that various types of 'contact' promote positive attitudes toward specific groups, the study examines the role that the nation's institutions can play as a contact environment.
 [Methods]The study utilizes data from international assessments such as PISA, MIPEX, and World Bank to analyze factors at the individual, school, and national levels. A hierarchical linear model is applied to identify factors at three levels.
 [Results] The main findings of this study are as follows. First, in countries with a high level of institutionalization of equality, non-immigrant-background adolescents show positive recognition of the rights of immigrant adolescents. Second, adolescents who have direct contact with immigrant peers in the friend group and the attending school tend to have a more positive recognition of immigrant rights than those who do not. Third, there is an interactive effect between the level of institutionalization of equality and direct contact with immigrant peers within the school.
 [Conclusion] Direct contact with immigrant peers is crucial for non-immigrant-background adolescents to positively recognize the rights of immigrants, especially in peer groups where close relationships can be formed. Non-immigrant-background adolescents in countries with a high level of equality institutionalization tend to have a more positive recognition of immigrant rights, and state institutions guaranteeing equality can play a greater role in driving the attitude of non-immigrant-background adolescents in contact with immigrants, who are relatively distant in social relationships.

Remote enculturation among Black immigrant adolescents in the United States

Remote enculturation (RE), the process of engaging with one's heritage culture through indirect and/or intermittent exposure, could strengthen heritage culture identity and promote adaptation among immigrant-origin youth. This study used mixed methods to describe RE activities and their associations with positive adaptation among Black adolescents with Somali American and Jamaican American heritage (n = 89; ages 11–18). Common RE activities included preparing heritage culture foods (98%) and participating in traditions (92%). Accounting for covariates, more frequent RE was associated with higher heritage culture identity, school grades, parent-child engagement, and daily fruit and vegetable consumption. Content analysis of open-ended responses describing RE's personal impact revealed themes of connection to family and place, cultural identity (dis)connection, learning the heritage culture, and emotions. Overall, adolescents from two different cultural and immigration backgrounds frequently practiced RE activities and perceived them to be personally impactful, highlighting potential applications of RE to support resilience.

Bicultural identity and adjustment among ethnoracially minoritized and immigrant adolescents

For ethnoracially minoritized and immigrant youth, identity formation involves efforts to integrate social identities that are derived from their ethnic-racial group memberships (i.e., ethnic-racial identity) and their connection to the country in which they reside (i.e., national identity). This study investigated the extent to which these two social identities were simultaneously associated with adolescents’ psychosocial adjustment via their associations with the integration of these identities (i.e., bicultural identity integration) and across adolescents’ identity domains (i.e., global identity coherence). This cross-sectional study (January 2020) included a US ethnoracially diverse sample of 355 adolescents (Mage = 15.95 years; SD = 0.79; 50.4% female; 40.6% Latino/a/x, 29.0% White, 13.2% Black, 8.2% Asian, 7.0% other; 76.1% US-born; 76.9% had at least one foreign-born parent) who completed online surveys in class. Structural equation path analyses with bias-corrected bootstrapping were conducted to test a theoretical sequential mediation model of identity and adjustment. Findings indicated that national American identity explained significant variance in adolescent psychosocial adjustment (i.e., higher academic engagement and self-esteem) via its unique associations with bicultural identity integration and global identity coherence. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses revealed some support for alternate models suggesting that the examined identity constructs may work in tandem with one another to inform adolescent psychosocial adjustment. This study highlights the multifaceted nature of social identity development and provides preliminary evidence regarding how the simultaneous development of adolescents’ ethnic-racial and national identities informs their psychosocial adjustment.

Unaccompanied or Separated Migrant Children and Adolescents at the Colombian–Venezuelan Border: Loss of the Social Moratorium and Its Implications

This study explains the Venezuelan migration involving unaccompanied or separated adolescents (UASA) on the Colombian–Venezuelan border, specifically in Norte de Santander-Táchira. This explanation is framed within the concept of the social moratorium, highlighting three subcategories that contribute to the early abandonment of childhood: 1. the violation of rights, 2. working life, and 3. confrontation of dangers. These subcategories compel UASA to transition prematurely into youth, assuming social, labor, or family responsibilities. Methodologically, we adopt a narrative approach, conducting group interviews with 24 immigrant children and adolescents. Furthermore, 14 interviews are conducted in 2 local markets, and the remaining 10 on 2 central avenues in the city of Cúcuta, Colombia. We conduct a theoretical analysis drawing upon key concepts, including the social moratorium, social constructionism, interaction, and moral and cognitive development. This theoretical framework helps us understand the consequences for the life prospects of this generation. They arise from factors such as school dropout, exposure to health risks, and the absence of free leisure time. These indicators reflect socioeconomic problems, including poverty, abuse, and violence.

Promoting mental health and preventing mental health problems in child and adolescent refugees and asylum seekers: A systematic review on psychosocial interventions.

According to the United Nations Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), children and adolescents represent 41% of all forcibly displaced individuals. They have to deal with conflicts, violence, and the many difficulties of flight and resettlement during a critical stage of their emotional, social, cognitive, and physical development. They are more likely to experience mental health problems during migration. Despite the several known risk factors, it is frequently challenging for refugees and asylum seekers to get mental health care. In this paper we review available studies on interventions aimed at promoting mental health and at preventing common mental disorders in immigrant adolescents and children. The relevant PubMed, Scopus, PsychINFO and Web of Science databases were searched for papers published until March 21, 2023, using ("immigrants" OR "migration" OR "asylum seekers" OR "refugees") AND ("promotion" OR "prevention") AND ("mental health" OR "mental disorders" OR "psych*") AND ("children" OR "adolescents" OR "young adults") as search string. Fourteen articles qualified for the detailed review. The majority of available interventions, although highly heterogeneous in format and content, showed significant improvement in several psychopathological dimensions, including trauma-related symptoms, psychological stress, anxiety, depressive and cognitive symptoms. Available studies on interventions for the prevention of mental disorders and the promotion of mental health in refugees and asylum seekers children and adolescents indicate that provided interventions were associated with a global improvement for participants. Implementation strategies to improve their scalability are highly needed.

Navigating new gender roles: impacts of cultural origins, context of settlement, and religious beliefs on gender attitudes among immigrant origin youth across five European countries

ABSTRACT Gender roles have become a symbol of cultural division between Western Europe and its growing immigrant population. To what extent immigrants and their children from more gender-conservative backgrounds will adopt more egalitarian attitudes has thus become a key question. However, different host countries offer distinct contexts of reception regarding the institutional support for gender equality, and the diverse compositions of immigrant populations across Europe pose challenges to simultaneously control the influences of cultural origins and settlement contexts. We overcome these challenges by comparing immigrant youth living in five different European countries, originating from countries with comparable levels of gender inequality, as assessed by three distinct global gender inequality indices. Analysing CILS4EU and CILS-NOR data, we found that the extent of gender inequality in parental countries of origin exerts a lasting impact on gender attitudes among immigrant-origin youth. Additionally, our findings showed that religion, particularly among Muslims, plays a role in preservation of conservative attitudes. Nevertheless, immigrant origin youth to a large extent adapt their perspectives to the context of reception, and even the most conservative groups of immigrant adolescents living in Scandinavia have more gender-egalitarian beliefs than immigrants – and to some extent natives – in continental Europe.

Exploring cross-cultural perspectives on adolescent mental health among Congolese immigrant adults in the USA and Belgium

Purpose This paper aims to explore the intersection of cultural processes and immigration in parental understanding of adolescent mental health and mental health seeking behaviors among African immigrants in Western countries. The present study examines the perspectives of Congolese immigrant parents on adolescent mental health in Brussels, Belgium, and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA – two geographic regions with relatively large Congolese migrant populations. This study highlights a needed understanding of cultural and acculturative context in shaping the beliefs of Congolese immigrants and explores potential barriers of seeking health services. Additionally, it recognizes health issues among this underrepresented and underserved population. Design/methodology/approach Fifteen Congolese immigrant parents, eight in the USA and seven in Belgium, participated in structured qualitative interviews using an adapted version of Kleinman Questions and behavioral scenarios on depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and oppositional defiant disorder. Interviews were audio recorded, and participants were assigned pseudonyms to de-identify responses. English interviews were transcribed verbatim by a trained team of undergraduate research assistants, and French interviews were transcribed verbatim by the first author and a graduate research assistant. Following transcription, the first and second authors used a rapid analytic approach (Hamilton, 2013). The first and second authors conducted a matrix analysis to observe thematic patterns. Findings Parents interpreted adolescent behavior to be more problematic when the scenarios were overtly outside of their cultural realm of values and beliefs. Parents preferred methods of intervention through religious practices and/or family and community efforts rather than seeking mental health services in their host countries as a secondary option. The authors’ findings provide an understanding of the values and beliefs of this underrepresented demographic, which may be useful to guide health professionals on how to support this community in a culturally responsive way. Research limitations/implications Limitations to the current study include the structured nature of the interview guide that did not allow for in-depth qualitative exploration. Interviewed participants had lived in their host countries for more than 10+ years. Thus, the authors’ findings are not reflective of new immigrants’ experiences. Parents’ perspectives were likely shaped by exposure to Western beliefs related to support for mental health (e.g. knowledge of psychologists). Future studies should focus on recent refugees due to exposure to traumatic events and experiences reflective of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) current socio-political situation, and how these are understood in the context of adolescent mental health. Further, due to the hypothetical nature of the scenarios, the authors cannot be sure that participants would engage in the identified approaches with their children. Additionally, hearing from the youth’s perspective would provide a clearer insight on how mental health and seeking professional help is viewed in a parent–child relationship. Finally, the data for this study were collected in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the authors cannot speak directly to Congolese refugee and immigrant experiences during this significant historical period, given the rise in mental health concerns in refugee populations more broadly (Logie et al., 2022), the authors’ findings speak to how parents may have responded to increased mental health symptoms and point to additional barriers that these populations may have faced in accessing support. The authors’ study emphasizes the need for dedicating resources and attention to this population, especially the development of culturally tailored messaging that invites community members to support the mental health needs of their community. Practical implications The authors’ findings provide important implications for mental health professionals. This study provides a clearer understanding of how Congolese immigrant parents view mental health and help-seeking within their cultural frame. Although parents may seek professional help, a distrust of mental health services was expressed across both cohorts. This suggests that mental health professionals should acknowledge potential distrust among this population and clarify their role in supporting the mental health of adolescent immigrants. Clinicians should inquire about familial cultural beliefs that are parent- and child-centered and modify their interventions to fit these belief structures. Originality/value This paper addresses the gap in knowledge about mental health perspectives of Sub-Saharan African immigrant populations, specifically those from the DRC.

Mental Health of Immigrant Children and Adolescents (6-17 Years) in Canada: Evidence from the Canadian Health Measures Survey.

Studies indicate a higher prevalence of mental health problems among immigrants, but findings on immigrant children and adolescents are mixed. We sought to understand the magnitude of differences in mental health indicators between immigrant and non-immigrant children and adolescents in Canada and the influence of age, sex, household income, and household education. We completed a secondary analysis of data from the Canadian Health Measures Survey, using a pooled estimate method to combine data from four survey cycles. A weighted logistic regression was used to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals. We found an association between the mental health of immigrant versus non-immigrant children and adolescents (6-17 years) as it relates to emotional problems and hyperactivity. Immigrant children and adolescents had better outcomes with respect to emotional problems and hyperactivity/inattention compared to non-immigrant children and adolescents. Lower household socioeconomic status was associated with poorer mental health in children and adolescents. No significant differences in overall mental health status were evident between immigrant and non-immigrant children and adolescents in Canada but differences exist in emotional problems and hyperactivity. Sex has an influence on immigrant child mental health that varies depending on the specific mental health indicator.

Exploring Persuasion Knowledge, Identity-Related Media Use, and Ad Skepticism of Black Immigrant and Refugee Adolescents

In the United States, where Black and Hispanic youth are disproportionately targeted by marketers, persuasion knowledge (PK) has not been thoroughly studied among underrepresented groups. The extent to which Black immigrant/refugee adolescents understand persuasion tactics and develop coping skills is explored in this mixed-methods study. Adolescents were aware of persuasion tactics on social media, relying on visual cues to identify sponsored posts. Media use was positively related to PK, and African American media use was associated with skepticism. Although there remains a need to further develop PK, adolescents demonstrated generally skillful coping strategies for influencers’ persuasion tactics.

Utilizing Advocacy to Promote the Adoption and Implementation of Medicaid Policies That Increase Insurance Coverage Among Adolescents

PurposeThe Promise of Adolescence: Realizing Opportunity for All Youth report recommends several Medicaid policies to increase insurance coverage among adolescents: approve Medicaid expansion; eliminate the 5-year Medicaid waiting period for lawfully present adolescent immigrants; increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for adolescent health services to the level of Medicare; and ensure coverage and sufficient reimbursement of comprehensive health services. We designed this study to identify key advocates and factors relevant to adoption and implementation of the recommended Medicaid policies in Nebraska to highlight opportunities for additional advocacy. MethodsWe conducted semistructured interviews January 2022 with 28 adolescent health and health-care access experts in Nebraska, including representatives from health care, education, government, and nonprofit sectors. We recorded the interviews and transcribed them verbatim, then coded data using NVivo software and identified key themes. ResultsParticipants were unable to identify any Medicaid advocates or advocacy work focused on adolescents, but they did identify 35 organizations working to improve insurance coverage in Nebraska. Coordinated multisector, statewide coalitions secured the adoption of Medicaid expansion through a citizen-supported ballot initiative. Barriers to successful implementation include limited Medicaid outreach to citizens and lawfully present immigrants. Low state government support for increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates and providing comprehensive health services, coupled with the absence of coordinated advocacy, hinder the adoption of these recommendations. DiscussionAdvocacy efforts should be implemented to increase adoption and implementation of Medicaid policies recommended to increase adolescents' insurance coverage. These efforts must be built on a foundation of knowledge of state government practices and must utilize sustained partnership among multisector advocates, including adolescent-serving professionals.

Health-related impacts of climate change and air pollution on older adult, child, and adolescent immigrants and refugees globally: a scoping review

Health-related impacts of climate change and air pollution on older adult, child, and adolescent immigrants and refugees globally: a scoping review

Adolescents' digital career aspirations: Evidence for gendered pathways in a digital future.

Computers and technology are still perceived as a male domain. As a result of this "digital gender gap" boys aspire careers in the information and communication technology (ICT) branches much more than girls. Guided by the situated expectancy-value theory of motivated behavioral choices, the present study aims to shed light on the predictors of digital career aspirations. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 1018 Austrian adolescents (52.3% girls; 72% non-immigrants; Mage = 13.55, SDage = 0.88) attending 61 Grade 7 and 8 classes located in 17 vocational secondary schools between April and June 2019. Individual and class-level predictors of digital career aspirations were investigated with multilevel modeling. Hierarchical linear models revealed that boys, younger adolescents, and second-generation immigrant adolescents had higher levels of digital career aspirations compared to girls, older adolescents, and non-immigrants. Hours spend with the laptop per day, digital self-efficacy and media appraisal positively predicted digital career aspirations on the individual level, while a higher number of immigrants in the classes and higher levels of teacher discussions about media were significant positive predictors on the class level. The model explained 17% of the individual level and 52% of the class level variance. Cross-level interactions were nonsignificant. These results have major implications for educational practice. Most importantly, educational interventions should enhance girls' digital self-efficacy believes and media appraisal. Furthermore, teachers should increase their discussion about digital media as they foster adolescents' digital career aspirations and might prevent future gender segregation in the ICT sector.