Peer-reviewed article
Ecologies of care: mental health and psychosocial support for war-affected youth in the U.S.
Cyril Bennouna, María Gandarilla Ocampo, Flora Cohen, Mashal Basir, Carine Allaf et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explores how war-affected youth from Iraq, Syria, and Sudan who have resettled in the United States experience mental health and psychosocial support. Researchers conducted focus groups with 30 young people aged 13-23 and interviewed 30 caregivers and 27 key informants including teachers and service providers in Austin, Texas and Harrisonburg, Virginia. The study identifies several support systems including sheltered instruction, school-parent collaboration, peer support, and social-emotional learning programs that help resettled adolescents adjust to their new environment. The research emphasizes both the resilience of newcomers and the need for stronger investment in schools and mental health systems to support their wellbeing.
Key points
- Youth resettling from MENA countries face challenges including language barriers, social adjustment, prejudice, and discrimination
- Schools can play a central role in facilitating adjustment and promoting mental health and psychosocial wellbeing
- Promising support efforts include sheltered instruction, school-parent collaboration, peer support programming, and social-emotional learning initiatives
- Integrated mental health centers were identified as a support mechanism
- Investment in schools, mental health systems, and resettlement programs is needed to enable newcomers to achieve their full potential
Limitations
This is a qualitative study with limited sample size (30 youth) in two specific U.S. cities, so findings may not be generalizable to other resettlement locations or larger populations. The study does not evaluate the effectiveness of specific interventions through experimental design, so causal claims about what works best cannot be established.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Youth resettling to the U.S. from conflict-affected countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) face countless challenges. As they cope with their experiences of armed conflict and forced migration, these girls and boys must also adjust to the language and social norms of their new society, often encountering prejudice and discrimination along the way. Previous studies indicate that schools can play a central role in facilitating this adjustment while also promoting mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. This qualitative study aims to understand the lived experiences of MENA newcomers resettled in Austin, Texas and Harrisonburg, Virginia and to assess how schools, families, and communities support their mental and psychosocial wellbeing. METHODS: We held six focus group discussions across the two cities with a total of 30 youths (13-23 years) from Iraq, Syria, and Sudan. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with 30 caregivers and 27 key informants, including teachers, administrators, service providers, and personnel from community-based organizations. RESULTS: Guided by Bioecological Theory, our thematic analysis identifies several means by which various actors work together to support resettled adolescents. We highlight promising efforts that seek to enhance these supports, including sheltered instruction, school-parent collaboration, peer support programming, social and emotional learning initiatives, and integrated mental health centers. CONCLUSION: While this study underscores the resilience of newcomers and the value of local support systems, it also reflects the importance of investment in schools, mental health systems, and resettlement programs that can enable newcomers to achieve their full potential.