Peer-reviewed article
A Relational Approach to Understanding Psychosocial Wellbeing, Including Suicidal Ideation, Among MENA-Background Adolescents
Sarah Rachel Meyer, Alli Gillespie, Ilana Seff, Cyril Bennouna, Najat Qushua et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This qualitative study explores psychosocial wellbeing and suicide risk among adolescents with Middle Eastern and North African backgrounds living in the United States. Researchers interviewed 27 service providers and conducted focus groups with 11 adolescents to understand the challenges these young people face. The study found that acculturation stress, family dynamics, school belonging, and community support are key factors affecting mental health. The findings highlight how adolescents struggle with dual identities and conflicting cultural expectations, particularly around gender roles and attitudes toward mental health.
Key points
- Four main themes emerged: acculturation stressors, family context influence, community belonging and expectations, and school belonging
- Adolescents navigate challenges with dual identities and conflicting expectations between cultures
- Strong cultural norms around gender and mental health were identified as barriers
- Service providers and students participated as key informants to understand suicide risk factors
- Systemic and identity-based acculturative challenges were identified as central to addressing mental health and suicide risk
Limitations
This is a qualitative study with small sample sizes (27 service providers, 11 adolescents) from three U.S. cities, which limits generalizability to other MENA-background populations or geographic contexts. The study identifies risk factors and themes but does not evaluate the effectiveness of any specific intervention.
Abstract
Adolescent refugees from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region face significant acculturation challenges and stressors in the United States. This qualitative study draws upon the integrated motivational-volitional model to understand MENA-background adolescents’ psychosocial wellbeing and suicide risk in three U.S. cities. Local service providers served as key informants ( n = 27), sharing in-depth reflections on supporting newcomer students in education, mental health, and refugee services. Analysis also includes focus group discussions with MENA-background adolescents ( n = 11) who participated in a photovoice activity. Four key themes emerged: (1) acculturation stressors; (2) influence of family contexts; (3) community belonging, expectations, and support; and (4) school belonging. Service providers and students described adolescents’ challenges in navigating dual identities, conflicting expectations, and strong cultural norms surrounding gender and mental health. Implementation and evaluation of interventions to address both systemic and identity-based acculturative challenges are central to improving mental health and reducing suicide risk among this population.