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Psychosocial adaptation of adolescent migrants in a Swiss community survey

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Abstract

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare psychosocial adaptation in adolescent (first generation) migrants, double-citizens (mainly second generation with one migrant parent), and native Swiss, and to compare migrants from various European regions.

Method

Data from a community survey were based on 1,239 participants (mean age 13.8, SD = 1.6 years) with 996 natives, 55 double-citizens, and 188 migrants. The adolescents completed the youth self-report measuring emotional and behavioural problems, and various questionnaires addressing life events, personality variables, perceived parental behaviour (PPB), family functioning, school environment, and social network.

Results

Adolescent migrants had significantly higher scores for internalizing and externalizing problems. There was a pattern of various unfavourable psychosocial features including life events, coping, self-related cognitions, and PPB that was more common among adolescent migrants than natives. Double-citizens were similar to natives in all domains. Young adolescents from South and South-East Europe differed from natives in terms of more unfavourable psychosocial features. Migrant status was best predicted by adverse psychosocial features rather than emotional and behavioural problems.

Conclusion

There is some indication that certain migrant adolescents are at risk of psychosocial mal-adaptation. Obviously, ethnic origin is an important moderator.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Neumünsterallee 9, 8032, Zürich, Switzerland

    Hans-Christoph Steinhausen, Cinzia Bearth-Carrari & Christa Winkler Metzke

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  1. Hans-Christoph Steinhausen
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  2. Cinzia Bearth-Carrari
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  3. Christa Winkler Metzke
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Correspondence to Hans-Christoph Steinhausen.

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Steinhausen, HC., Bearth-Carrari, C. & Winkler Metzke, C. Psychosocial adaptation of adolescent migrants in a Swiss community survey. Soc Psychiat Epidemiol 44, 308–316 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0437-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-008-0437-7

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