To Örebro University

This scoping review examines school-based programs aimed at promoting the adjustment and well-being of recently arrived immigrant adolescents. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, five databases (Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, SCOPUS, ERIC) were systematically searched for studies published since 2000, focusing on interventions implemented in formal school settings for recently arrived adolescents. The review identified 15 studies evaluating outcomes of 17 programs. Most school-based programs for recently arrived adolescents aimed to promote social-emotional well-being, mitigate mental health problems, strengthen resilience and social support, or address trauma-related symptoms. Around 50% of the reviewed programs had some effects on the intended outcomes. Despite some promising findings, the current literature has several limitations that limit the ability to draw robust conclusions. Future research needs to focus on understanding why, how, and for whom programs lead (or do not lead) to intended outcomes, and on developing effective programs that can be implemented using available resources at school. 

This scoping review examines school-based programs aimed at promoting the adjustment and well-being of recently arrived immigrant adolescents. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, five databases (Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, SCOPUS, ERIC) were systematically searched for studies published since 2000, focusing on interventions implemented in formal school settings for recently arrived adolescents. The review identified 15 studies evaluating outcomes of 17 programs. Most school-based programs for recently arrived adolescents aimed to promote social-emotional well-being, mitigate mental health problems, strengthen resilience and social support, or address trauma-related symptoms. Around 50% of the reviewed programs had some effects on the intended outcomes. Despite some promising findings, the current literature has several limitations that limit the ability to draw robust conclusions. Future research needs to focus on understanding why, how, and for whom programs lead (or do not lead) to intended outcomes, and on developing effective programs that can be implemented using available resources at school. 

This workshop aims to present the barriers and facilitators of conducting prevention research with youth and families from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. Conducting such research involves unique challenges, including language barriers, cultural differences, limited understanding of or different views about research, distrust, and instability in living conditions. These are just a few of the unique challenges that researchers must address to ensure the quality implementation of their research. However, there are limited resources available to guide novice researchers and practitioners in learning from the experiences of others.

Experiences from two large-scale projects in different contexts, Germany and Sweden, will form the basis of this workshop. We will present the strategies that were effective in achieving the project goals, as well as the failures and lessons learned. The facilitators include senior researchers, a doctoral student, project assistants who worked on project administration and data collection, and intervention leaders who ran intervention sessions with the participants. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to interact with both senior and junior research staff, who will share firsthand experiences from different phases of project development, implementation, and dissemination.

Overall, this workshop is designed to empower novice researchers and practitioners by enhancing their understanding of the challenges, barriers, and facilitators of conducting prevention research with youth and families from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. The program will include interactive group activities to provide hands-on experiences for the participants.

In societal discourse and academic research, individuals with immigration backgrounds are often portrayed as vulnerable and at risk. The term "risk" includes internalizing and externalizing issues such as poor mental health and adjustment difficulties. Despite increasing research on resilience and strengths-based approaches, psychological and prevention research remains focused on deficits. For instance, a keyword search on the Web of Science database for peerreviewed publications revealed that approximately 25% of studies on immigrant children and adolescents focused on some form of risk, while only around 3% listed resilience or strength as keywords.

Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses demonstrated that interventions for individuals with immigrant backgrounds predominantly focused on mental health. Although mental health challenges may be more prevalent among individuals with immigrant backgrounds compared to the majority population, especially with those who experienced displacement and trauma, mental health support represents only one aspect of the broader spectrum of psychosocial needs among those with immigration experience.

Building on this background, we will first provide an overview of current research and the portrayal of youth and families with immigration backgrounds. Following this, we will discuss the shortcomings of deficit-based approaches in prevention research. Finally, we will propose a contextualized developmental approach that may facilitate the development and implementation of strengths-based approaches to promote adjustment and well-being of immigrants and refugees.

In summary, this paper aims to challenge the prevailing negative discourse about immigrant youth and parents as vulnerable and at-risk. Instead, the paper will discuss how a strengths-based approach may move prevention research targeting these groups forward, while also helping overcome the negative portrayal of immigrants and refugees as inherently at-risk.

Background: Adolescence is a period of identity development and relational growth. For newly arrived youth, this process is complicated by the overlapping challenges of migration, language learning, and psychosocial adjustment. While many interventions for this group focus on clinical or academic outcomes, fewer address everyday experiences that shape social belonging and emotional wellbeing. The PIA Youth Program responds to this gap as a universal, school-based, dialogue-driven intervention designed to support integration through experience sharing,reflection, and positive reinforcement.

Method: This presentation examines 19 semi-structured qualitative interviews with newly arrived adolescents (aged 14–16) who participated in the PIA Program, exploring their experiences of its impact on their social, emotional, and communicative development.

Results: Using thematic analysis of in-depth interviews, key themes were identified as Language and communication skill development, Development of behavior, Emotional and social skills and Importance of leadership. Youth described sessions as safe and enjoyable spaces where they could speak without fear of judgment, reflect on identity and social norms, and enhance confidence. Participants emphasized that relatable texts, meaningful discussions, and a supportive facilitator helped them build emotional resilience, social courage, and communicative skills. They described increased perspective-taking, better understanding of cultural differences, and stronger abilities to handle social uncertainty. Expressed challenges included fear of mistakes, unfamiliar group settings, and linguistic barriers, especially among those less confident in Swedish or their mother tongue. Youth suggested improvements such as simplified language, visual materials, and more interactive and flexible session formats.

Discussion: Findings underscore the importance of culturally sensitive dialogical spaces in schools to support integration beyond academic achievements. Findings highlight the value of incorporating culturally representative role models who serve as facilitators, using culturally responsive practices, and providing flexible interventions. These facilitators help foster reflection and connection, making the PIA Youth Program a meaningful contributor to participants’ integration journey.

Neoliberal globalization, climate change, and political instability have contributed to increasing migration, boosting diversity in host countries like Sweden. This increased diversity brings unique benefits for both migrants and the host society but can also pose challenges, especially for the migrants. Upon migration, individuals may encounter challenges such as language barriers and discrimination. These challenges are often more pronounced for newly arrived youth, who are already experiencing major developmental changes during adolescence. Adverse experiences may diminish their feelings of being valued and respected and could lead to a negative perception of society. This study examines newly arrived youth’s sense of belonging and how they view Swedish society and the potential consequences of these negative impressions. The sample included 139 newly arrived adolescents residing in Sweden (Mage=15.7, SD=.80; 55% females). Poor sense of belonging and negative views of society were defined by scores lower than 1 standard deviation below the average. Results showed that 15.4% experienced a low sense of belonging (M = 1.5, SD = .46) and 12.3% had a negative view of Swedish society (M = 1.83, SD = .51). Further analysis showed that adolescents with poor sense of belonging and negative views of Swedish society had significantly lower levels of optimism about their future, lower motivation to socially integrate, and lower confidence in achieving their educational and career goals. Therefore, it is imperative to provide tailored support for youths encountering adverse experiences to bolster their future aspirations and objectives. This necessitates the adoption of critical social work perspectives to understand societal structures and discourses that decrease the sense of belonging. Tailoring interventions and supporting institutions for developing more inclusive practices may facilitate reciprocal positive social exchanges, and in turn, reduce the risk of marginalization of minorities.

Background: Most existing programs for newcomer immigrant youth primarily target those potentially at risk for mental health issues such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety problems. PIA Youth Program, a dissonance-based intervention, takes a universal approach to address the broader needs of newly arrived youth who may encounter challenges with both acculturative and developmental changes. The program aims to help youth to develop new perspectives, identify their resources, and set goals for the future and to overcome their challenges. As pilot tests suggested feasibility and potential positive outcomes, a randomized controlled trial is underway. This presentation focuses on experiences, challenges, and strengths of the implementation process of the RCT, based on leaders’ session evaluations, completed after each session.

Method: Using a mixed-method approach, we analyzed 12 leaders’ responses to closed questions and reflections to open ended questions to report their experiences of running 14 intervention groups.

Results: Leaders rated the implementation quality on a scale from 1 to 10. The ratings indicated high participant engagement in discussions (M=7.86), high quality delivery of the content (M=8.36) and comprehensive coverage of the content (M=9.33) throughout the program, suggesting high overall implementation quality. The thematic analysis of the responses to open ended questions yielded two themes: perceived strengths and challenges in implementation. Strengths were identified in relation to the program material and relatable examples during discussions in sessions. On the other hand, challenges were mostly related to time management, technical difficulties, and variation in level of participation. Challenges decreased by more than 30% after the second session probably due to the difficulties arising from administering the pre-test in conjunction to the first session.

Discussion: The results underscore the importance of well-developed material and program structure ahead of implementing an intervention to ensure high quality implementation process.

Immigrant and refugee adolescents who migrate to a new country face acculturative challenges in addition to their ongoing developmental challenges. Nevertheless, most preventive interventions for recently arrived youth focus on a small segment of this population who may potentially be at risk for mental health issues related to psychological distress and past trauma. The PIA Youth Program was developed as a 6-week cognitive dissonance-based universal intervention to support newly arrived youth in promoting their adjustment and development in the host society. The program content was informed by the newly arrived youth’s own description of needs and research on the risk and protective factors related to migration and resettlement processes. The program is delivered to 3 to 6 recently arrived youth by trained group leaders in the home language of participants or Swedish. The youth engage in active discussions around potentially challenging acculturative and developmental issues, including learning (and improving) language, exploring the new environment, negotiating cultural differences, social interactions, seeking support, building a sense of belonging, and taking a stance for their future and setting goals. A single-group pre- and post-test pilot study (N = 29) demonstrated the feasibility of the implementation process, relevance of the program content, and appropriateness of the measures. Additionally, the findings from the pilot data suggested trends of improvements in most outcome measures, such as increased internal motivation to learn Swedish (d = .47), increased confidence in achieving academic goals (d = .28), and improved persistence in dealing with school difficulties (d = .22).The pilot test of the PIA Youth Program was followed by a randomized controlled trial with two arms (active intervention and waiting-list control condition) and a pre-, post-, and six-month follow-up design. Twenty-eight schools with students who came to Sweden in 2015 or later were identified based on records from the National Agency for Education and randomized into either the intervention or control condition. Seventh to ninth-grade students who can participate in the program sessions in Arabic, Dari, Kurdish, Somalian, Tigrinya, or Swedish were invited to participate in the study. In Fall 2023, a total of 17 groups (N = 71) were completed with pre- and post-test measures. The trial will continue until Spring 2025 and aims to complete a total of 55 groups. The current presentation (1) focuses on the implementation process of the RCT study and (2) the experiences of the program leaders and participants with the implementation process of the PIA Youth Program, and (3) presents preliminary findings. 

Background: School context is an important arena to deliver interventions to children and adolescents, since it is a setting where diverse groups could be reached at once, including those who recently arrived at a host country as a refugee or immigrant. Nevertheless, most empirical and intervention studies targeting these groups adopt deficit-based approaches, leading to a scarcity of evidence-based interventions for recently arrived youth with a non-medical focus. This scoping review examines published studies on school-based intervention programs targeting recently arrived adolescents as refugee or immigrant.

Method: Extensive searches were conducted in five databases (Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, SCOPUS, ERIC) and published reviews and meta-analyses. Five independent reviewers screened titles and abstracts, determined the final study selection, extracted data, summarized, and synthesized the result descriptively.

Results: Eighteen studies that met the inclusion criteria reported evaluation of interventions implemented with approximately 2200 refugee and immigrant youth in school settings. Fifteen studies were conducted in Western countries, of which seven involved participants meeting with health professionals or equivalent support. The remaining eight studies in Western countries integrated interventions with classroom activities. Outside of Western countries, two studies from Lebanon targeted Syrian refugees in classroom settings. Most studies in Western countries (N=12), along with one study in Turkey, aimed to improve emotional and mental health outcomes, utilizing approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Only two of the eighteen studies explicitly focused on promoting social adjustment and integration as primary intervention goals.

Discussion: Most school-based interventions for recently arrived refugee and immigrant youth target emotional and psychological problems. There is a gap in research focusing on universal needs of immigrant and refugee youth. Social integration and adjustment should be addressed through promotive actions to mitigate potential challenges experienced by recently arrived youth and support their resettlement process.