Immigrant and Refugee Youth Positive Adaptation and Development

Author(s):  
Frosso Motti-Stefanidi

The positive adaptation and integration of immigrant and refugee youth in host societies are crucial not only for their well-being but also for the well-being and prosperity of society. However, they face developmental and acculturative challenges, which may put at risk their positive adaptation. In addition, refugee youth have to deal with challenges linked to traumatic experiences before and during their forced migration and after seeking asylum in the host country. In spite of these challenges, most immigrant and refugee youth, after an initial period, will adapt well to their new environment. The chapter addresses the question: Who among immigrant and refugee youth do well, concurrently and over time, and why? Scientific evidence regarding barriers and resources for positive immigrant and refugee youth adaptation is presented and discussed. Public policy recommendations that aim to eliminate barriers to positive adaptation and to enhance their social and personal capital are also formulated.

Author(s):  
Frosso Motti-Stefanidi ◽  
Vassilis Pavlopoulos ◽  
Nancy Papathanasiou ◽  
Stefanos Mastrotheodoros

Resilient adaptation of immigrant and refugee youth in receiving societies is consequential for the wellbeing of the youth and the prosperity of the receiving societies. Yet there is significant diversity in their adaptation. The central question addressed in this article is: “Who among immigrant and refugee youth do well and why?” To address this question, we present an integrative model for conceptualizing immigrant-youth resilience, which integrates developmental, acculturation, and social psychological perspectives. This resilience framework frames research on the basis of two key questions: First, what challenges immigrant youths’ adaptation? Second, what resources protect their positive adaptation? Accordingly, we present scientific evidence regarding the influence of immigration-specific challenges and contextual and individual-level resources on their positive adaptation. Extant evidence suggests that focusing on strengths and resilience, instead of on weaknesses and psychological symptoms, among immigrant and refugee youth may have significant implications for policy and practice.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy K. Marks ◽  
John L. McKenna ◽  
Cynthia Garcia Coll

Abstract. Extraordinary increases in refugee and voluntary migration have recently been observed in many European and North American countries. At the same time, negative attitudes toward immigrants and unfavorable immigration-related policy changes are promoting national climates of increased discrimination, fear of deportation, and experiences of income and education inequality among many immigrant origin youth and families. This paper considers how national receiving contexts, in particular the efficacy of national immigration integration policies and markers of national attitudes toward immigrants, can shape both native-born youth and immigrant and refugee youth well-being. Using an ecological framework, we draw from the recent empirical literature and three sources of international policy and child well-being data, to assess how national receiving contexts matter for native-born children and immigrant youth adaptation. Results indicate strong linkages among the macro-level contexts of multicultural policies and positive integration approaches with overall child well-being. More favorable immigrant national attitudes, and the more micro-level perceptions of discrimination and xenophobia, also matter tremendously for immigrant and refugee youth adaptation and health outcomes.


Author(s):  
Heather McLeod ◽  
Leah B. Lewis ◽  
Xuemei Li

Community-based arts practice is programming that informs and fosters essential components of well-being and belonging, including resilience, community attachment via interpersonal connection and exchange as preventive to mental health stressors. Our Art Hive is in a centre-city high school with immigrant and refugee youth in St. John’s Newfoundland, where newcomers often face an insider/outsider dynamic of disconnection. The pop-up Art Hive is a publicly accessible and community-located art-making space grounded in Adlerian theory, collaborative community development, feminist thought, and social justice. Through a community-situated arts-based participatory process, we sought emergent themes. An earlier phase of our collaborative project involved visual art-making and exploring experiences of inclusion and belonging. A second phase of the project included some of the same youth and new members, adding local students invited by the immigrant and refugee youth. This phase explored resilience and hope as a feature of well-being and functioning and as having a relationship with immigrant and refugee youth experiences in smaller Canadian centres. The Art Hive, a form of community art therapy practice, is structured along seven social parameters: focus on intentional art-making, no critical commentary (positive or negative), non-evaluative in nature, no forced participation, witnessing, sharing, and participatory involvement of facilitators. The participant-planned and hosted final exhibit contributed to learning, sharing, and group cohesiveness. A focus group generated data on how the Art Hive informs cultural experiences and feelings of hope. 


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 510-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frosso Motti-Stefanidi

Successful adaptation among immigrant youths is a highly important issue for multiple stakeholders in many countries because of its potential long-term significance for the well-being of migrants and the prosperity and social cohesion of the receiving societies. In this article, I examine immigrant-youth adaptation through the lens of a recently developed resilience model. What are the risks that threaten immigrant youths’ adaptation? What are the promotive or protective influences that support their positive adaptation? These questions are addressed using scientific evidence drawn from the Athena Studies of Resilient Adaptation project, a two-cohort, three-wave longitudinal project on immigrant-youth adaptation conducted in Greece, as well as from the international literature. Risks and resources for immigrant youths’ concurrent and long-term adaptation are examined in societal, developmental, and acculturative contexts. The integrative model and related scientific findings may inform public policy, as well as guide future research.


2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruno da Silva Lourenço ◽  
Maria Angélica de Almeida Peres ◽  
Isaura Setenta Porto ◽  
Rosane Mara Pontes de Oliveira ◽  
Virginia Faria Damásio Dutra

Abstract This study is an integrative review with the aim to identify and describe the scientific evidence of the practical effect of physical activity in people with mental disorders. For the selection of articles, the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO, Cochrane and Scopus were used. The sample of this review consisted of eight articles. Their analysis resulted in the categories: obesity and metabolic syndrome, specialized nursing, sedentary and healthy lifestyles, support and social network, incentive to the practice of physical activity, and anxiety and physical activity. The benefits to physical health were partially elucidated by the sample. The implications for nursing care arise from the therapeutic efficacy of physical activity by people with mental disorders, adding individual and collective benefits that provide socialization and promotion of well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenna Lin ◽  
Christopher Prickett ◽  
Steven Woltering

Abstract Background Stress can negatively impact an individual’s health and well-being and high levels of stress are noted to exist among college students today. While traditional treatment methods are plagued with stigma and transfer problems, newly developed wearable biofeedback devices may offer unexplored possibilities. Although these products are becoming commonplace and inexpensive, scientific evidence of the effectiveness of these products is scarce and their feasibility within research contexts are relatively unexplored. Conversely, companies are not required, and possibly reluctant, to release information on the efficacy of these products against their claims. Thus, in the present pilot, we assess the feasibility of using a real-time respiratory-based biofeedback device in preparation for a larger study. Our main aims were to assess device-adherence and collaboration with the company that develops and sells the device. Method Data were collected from 39 college students who self-identified as experiencing chronic stress at a Southwestern university in the USA. Students were randomized into either a mindfulness-only control group without a biofeedback device (n = 21), or an experimental group with biofeedback device (n = 18). Both groups received mindfulness meditation training. Pre-test and post-test procedures were conducted 2 weeks apart. Further, both participant compliance and company compliance were assessed and collaboration with the company was evaluated. Results Participant device-adherence as well as the company’s collaboration necessary for a full-scale study was determined to be low. This may also have affected our results which showed a strong main effect for time for all outcome variables, suggesting all groups showed improvement in their levels of stress after the intervention period. No group by time effects were identified, however, indicating no added benefit of the biofeedback device. Conclusions Our findings suggest feasibility of future studies requires full collaboration and detailed and agreed upon data sharing procedures with the biofeedback company. The particular device under investigation added no value to the intervention outcomes and it was not feasible to continue a larger-scale study. Further, as the technology sector is innovating faster than it can validate products, we urge for open science collaborations between public and private sectors to properly develop evidence-based regulations that can withstand technological innovation while maintaining product quality, safety, and effectiveness. Trial registration NCT02837016. Registered 19 July 2016.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sidsel Karsberg ◽  
Morten Hesse ◽  
Michael Mulbjerg Pedersen ◽  
Ruby Charak ◽  
Mads Uffe Pedersen

Abstract Background It is believed that clients with psychological trauma experiences have a poor prognosis with regard to treatment participation and outcomes for substance use disorders. However, knowledge on the effect of the number of trauma experiences is scarce. Methods Using data from drug use disorder (DUD) treatment in Denmark, we assessed the impact of having experienced multiple potentially traumatic experiences on DUD treatment efficacy. Baseline and follow-up data from 775 young participants (mean age = 20.2 years, standard deviation = 2.6) recruited at nine treatment centers were included in analyses. Results Analyses showed that participants who were exposed multiple trauma experiences also reported a significantly higher intake of cannabis at treatment entry, and a lower well-being score than participants who reported less types or no types of victimization experiences. During treatment, patients with multiple types of trauma experiences showed a slower rate of reduction of cannabis than patients with few or no trauma experiences. The number of trauma types was not associated with number of sessions attended or the development of well-being in treatment. Conclusion Overall, the results show that although traumatized youth in DUD treatment show up for treatment, helping them to reduce substance use during treatment is uniquely challenging. Trial registration ISRCTN88025085, date of registration: 29.08.2016, retrospectively registered.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1670
Author(s):  
Gerald Reiner ◽  
Josef Kuehling ◽  
Frederik Loewenstein ◽  
Mirjam Lechner ◽  
Sabrina Becker

Tail biting is a prevalent and undesirable behaviour in pigs and a major source of significant reduction in well-being. However, focusing on biting considers only one part of the solution, because tail damage can be found with a high prevalence without any action by other pigs. The lesions are not limited to the tail but can also be found in the ears, heels, soles, claw coronary bands, teats, navel, vulva, and face. Environmental improvement alone often fails to overcome the problem. This review addresses a new inflammation and necrosis syndrome in swine (SINS). It shows the clinical signs and the frequencies of occurrence in different age groups. It compiles scientific evidence from clinical and histopathological studies in newborn piglets that argue for a primary endogenous aetiology of the disease. Bringing together the findings of a broad body of research, the possible mechanisms leading to the disease are identified and then discussed. This part will especially focus on microbe-associated molecular patterns in the circulation and their role in activating defence mechanisms and inflammation. Finally, the methods are identified to ameliorate the problem by optimizing husbandry and selecting a suitable breeding stock.


2021 ◽  
pp. 46-56
Author(s):  
Ivan Aleksandrovich Rybakov

In 2019 The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation together with experts of the National Research Center of Therapy and Preventive Medicine of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation has developed programs to strengthen the health of employees, which include behavioral medicine practices aimed at changing lifestyle and correcting risk factors. Scientific evidence shows the effectiveness of such programs, and new components of programs aimed at improving the well-being of employees can increase the effectiveness of preventive measures. In this article, we will review the domestic and international experience of using comprehensive health and well-being promotion programs to improve the health of employees in Russia.


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