IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i10p5210-d554392.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Mentoring for Improving the Self-Esteem, Resilience, and Hope of Unaccompanied Migrant Youth in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area

Author

Listed:
  • Xavier Alarcón

    (School of Education and Psychology, University of Girona, Plaça Sant Domènec, 9, 17071 Girona, Spain)

  • Magdalena Bobowik

    (Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands)

  • Òscar Prieto-Flores

    (School of Education and Psychology, University of Girona, Plaça Sant Domènec, 9, 17071 Girona, Spain)

Abstract

In the last few years, the number of unaccompanied youths arriving in Europe has increased steadily. During their settlement in host countries, they are exposed to a great variety of vulnerabilities, which have an impact on their mental health. This research examines the effects of participation in a mentoring programme on the psychological and educational outcomes among unaccompanied migrant youths who live in the Barcelona metropolitan area. Data in this mixed-methods study were obtained from 44 surveys with mentored (treatment group) and non-mentored (control group) male youths who had recently turned 18, as well as through thirty semi-structured interviews with mentored youths, their adult mentors, and non-mentored youths. Our findings indicated that participation in the mentoring programme improved the mentored youths’ self-esteem, resilience, and hope, as well as their desired or expected educational outcomes in this new context. We conclude that well-targeted and problem-specific mentoring programmes have positive and marked effects on unaccompanied migrant youths’ mental health. The social and political implications of these outcomes are also discussed, providing information on how interventions can offer effective networks of support for the settlement and social inclusion of unaccompanied migrant youths.

Suggested Citation

  • Xavier Alarcón & Magdalena Bobowik & Òscar Prieto-Flores, 2021. "Mentoring for Improving the Self-Esteem, Resilience, and Hope of Unaccompanied Migrant Youth in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-25, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:10:p:5210-:d:554392
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/10/5210/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/10/5210/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. repec:pri:cmgdev:wp1002 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Jayshree Jani & Dawnya Underwood & Jessica Ranweiler, 2016. "Hope as a Crucial Factor in Integration Among Unaccompanied Immigrant Youth in the USA: A Pilot Project," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 1195-1209, November.
    3. repec:pri:cmgdev:wp1002.pdf is not listed on IDEAS
    4. Thompson, Lynn A. & Kelly-Vance, Lisa, 2001. "The impact of mentoring on academic achievement of at-risk youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(3), pages 227-242, March.
    5. Bean, Tammy M. & Eurelings-Bontekoe, Elisabeth & Spinhoven, Philip, 2007. "Course and predictors of mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors in the Netherlands: One year follow-up," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 64(6), pages 1204-1215, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Akm Alamgir & Christopher Kyriakides & Andrew Johnson & Gemechu Abeshu & Bay Bahri & Miles Abssy, 2024. "Resilience Mechanisms and Coping Strategies for Forcibly Displaced Youth: An Exploratory Rapid Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-14, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cardoso, Jodi Berger, 2018. "Running to stand still: Trauma symptoms, coping strategies, and substance use behaviors in unaccompanied migrant youth," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 143-152.
    2. Nicole Hynek & Arleta Franczukowska & Lydia Rössl & Günther Schreder & Anna Faustmann & Eva Krczal & Isabella Skrivanek & Isolde Sommer & Lukas Zenk, 2020. "A System Model of Post-Migration Risk Factors Affecting the Mental Health of Unaccompanied Minor Refugees in Austria—A Multi-Step Modeling Process Involving Expert Knowledge from Science and Practice," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(14), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Siegel, M. & Buil, C., 2014. "Afghan unaccompanied minors in the Netherlands: Far away from home and protected?," MERIT Working Papers 2014-037, United Nations University - Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology (MERIT).
    4. Van Holen, Frank & Blijkers, Cindy & Trogh, Lenny & West, Delphine & Vanderfaeillie, Johan, 2020. "Unaccompanied children in Flemish family foster care. Prevalence and associated factors of placement breakdown," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    5. Rip, Jet & Zijlstra, Elianne & Post, Wendy & Kalverboer, Margrite & Knorth, Erik J., 2020. "Cultural matching factors, child factors and fostering factors associated with successful foster placement: An explorative study into the perspectives of unaccompanied refugee children, their foster c," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 118(C).
    6. Pastoor, Lutine de Wal, 2015. "The mediational role of schools in supporting psychosocial transitions among unaccompanied young refugees upon resettlement in Norway," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 245-254.
    7. Celikaksoy, Aycan & Wadensjö, Eskil, 2016. "Mapping Experiences and Research about Unaccompanied Refugee Minors in Sweden and Other Countries," IZA Discussion Papers 10143, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    8. Anna Seidel, Franziska & Hettich, Nora & James, Sigrid, 2022. "Transnational family life of displaced unaccompanied minors – A systematic review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    9. De Wit, David J. & Lipman, Ellen L. & da Costa, Jose & Graham, Kathryn & Larose, Simon & Pepler, Debra & Coyle, James & DuBois, David & Manzano-Munguia, Maria & Ferro, Annalise, 2016. "Predictors of early versus late match relationship beginnings in Big Brothers Big Sisters community programs," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 281-287.
    10. Montgomery, Edith, 2008. "Long-term effects of organized violence on young Middle Eastern refugees' mental health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(10), pages 1596-1603, November.
    11. Avignone, Tatiana & Fernández-Pacheco Alises, Gloria & Torres-Jiménez, Mercedes, 2024. "Is there a gender-based analysis of unaccompanied migrant minors? A systematic review of the evidence," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    12. Hornfeck, Fabienne & Sowade, Clara & Bovenschen, Ina, 2022. "Effects of the asylum process on the mental health of unaccompanied young refugees – A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    13. Thommessen, S. & Laghi, F. & Cerrone, C. & Baiocco, R. & Todd, B.K., 2013. "Internalizing and externalizing symptoms among unaccompanied refugee and Italian adolescents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 7-10.
    14. Kerri Evans, 2023. "Policy and Legal Implications for Working with Unaccompanied Immigrant Children in Foster Care in the United States," Laws, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-13, March.
    15. Van Holen, Frank & Dewilde, Isabel & Trogh, Lenny & Verheyden, Camille & Vanderfaeillie, Johan, 2021. "Prevalence and associated factors of placement breakdown of unaccompanied children in Flemish family foster care. A follow-up study," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 127(C).
    16. Crea, Thomas M. & Lopez, Anayeli & Taylor, Theresa & Underwood, Dawnya, 2017. "Unaccompanied migrant children in the United States: Predictors of placement stability in long term foster care," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 93-99.
    17. Wade, Jim, 2011. "Preparation and transition planning for unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee young people: A review of evidence in England," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(12), pages 2424-2430.
    18. De Wit, David J. & Lipman, Ellen & Manzano-Munguia, Maria & Bisanz, Jeffrey & Graham, Kathryn & Offord, David R. & O'Neill, Elizabeth & Pepler, Deborah & Shaver, Karen, 2007. "Feasibility of a randomized controlled trial for evaluating the effectiveness of the Big Brothers Big Sisters community match program at the national level," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 383-404, March.
    19. Karin Haar & Aala El-Khani & Riccardo Lodi & Valentina Molin & Annalisa Pelosi & Ali Yassine & Giovanna Campello & Wadih Maalouf, 2023. "Assessing the Efficacy of a Brief Universal Family Skills Programme on Violence and Substance-Use Indicators in Youth in Trentino and Parma, Italy: Study Protocol for a Multi-Centre, Non-Blinded, Clus," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(16), pages 1-18, August.
    20. Van Holen, Frank & Verberckmoes, Lobke & Trogh, Lenny & West, Delphine & Vanderfaeillie, Johan, 2023. "Placement breakdown in Flemish family foster care for unaccompanied refugee minors. Experiences of non-kinship foster parents," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:10:p:5210-:d:554392. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.