The association between cultural and linguistic maintenance and mental health in migrant adolescents: A scoping review

Background: Although previous reviews have examined the relationship between heritage cultural maintenance and mental health outcomes among migrants, none have focussed specifically on migrant adolescents (i.e. those aged 10–24 years). Aims: To examine (1) the focus, scope and nature of quantitative empirical research investigating heritage cultural maintenance – including linguistic maintenance – and mental health outcomes among migrant adolescents globally and (2) the association between cultural and linguistic maintenance and migrant adolescents’ mental health outcomes. Method: Following the Arksey and O’Malley methodological framework for scoping reviews, we searched 11 electronic health, medical, social science and language databases from database inception until the search date (6 June 2023), using English search terms. We extracted data from included empirical studies using a template with pre-defined data items, which we present in comprehensive overviews and narrative summaries. Results: Thirty-four studies met our inclusion criteria. We identified considerable heterogeneity between studies regarding their research foci, methodologies, terminologies, outcomes and findings regarding the association between cultural maintenance and mental health outcomes. We specifically identified mixed findings regarding the latter, which cannot be transferred or generalised. Conclusions: The heterogenous nature of methodologies and outcome measures in the published literature, in addition to a scarcity of research from low- and middle-income countries, have hindered meaningful progress in this field. Efforts to address these issues, and to take adolescent context into consideration, will facilitate a more accurate understanding of how cultural maintenance relates to migrant adolescent mental health, and inform future interventions to improve mental health outcomes.