School-based Psychosocial Interventions' Effectiveness in Strengthening Refugee and Migrant Adolescents' Mental Health, Resilience, and Social Relations: A Four-country Cluster Randomized Study

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  • Caroline Spaas
  • Sameh Said-Metwaly
  • Skovdal, Morten
  • Nina Langer Primdahl
  • Jervelund, Signe Smith
  • Per Kristian Hilden
  • Arnfinn J. Andersen
  • Marianne Opaas
  • Emma Soye
  • Charles Watters
  • An Verelst
  • Ilse Derluyn
  • Hilde Colpin
  • Lucia De Haene

School-based psychosocial interventions are increasingly put forward as a way to support young refugees’ and migrants’ well-being and mental health in resettlement. However, the evidence on these interventions’ effectiveness remains scarce and scholars denounce particular gaps in the evidence to date, pointing to a lack of large-scale, controlled studies and studies including social outcome measures. This cluster randomized study aims to strengthen the evidence base on school-based psychosocial interventions for refugee and migrant youth by assessing the effect of two interventions, Classroom Drama and Welcome to School, on youth’s mental health, resilience, and social relations in Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Multilevel analyses were conducted separately for the two interventions (Classroom Drama, n = 307, ages 11-19; Welcome to School, n = 251, ages 11-23), using separate no-treatment control groups. Our analyses indicated a significant main, positive effect of Classroom Drama on perceived family support, and an effect on perceived support from friends that was moderated by country: in the United Kingdom, the intervention group reported an increase in perceived friend support, whereas the control group reported a decrease. Furthermore, baseline resilience moderated the effect of the Classroom Drama intervention on behavioral difficulties and well-being. No effects of Welcome to School on any of the outcome variables were found. Overall, this study provides novel, nuanced evidence on school-based psychosocial interventions for refugee and migrant adolescents.

Translated title of the contributionSchool-based Psychosocial Interventions’ Effectiveness in Strengthening Refugee and Migrant Adolescents’ Mental Health, Resilience, and Social Relations: A Four-country Cluster Randomized Study
Original languageSpanish
JournalPsychosocial Intervention
Volume32
Issue number3
Pages (from-to)177-189
Number of pages13
ISSN1132-0559
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2023

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© 2023 Colegio Oficial de Psicologos de Madrid. All rights reserved.

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