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Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction 3/2021

01-06-2021 | Original Article

Understanding Mental Health and Identity from Syrian Refugee Adolescents’ Perspectives

Authors: Tali Filler, Katholiki Georgiades, Nazilla Khanlou, Olive Wahoush

Published in: International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction | Issue 3/2021

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Abstract

Adolescence is a critical stage of development for health, well-being, and individual identity. As a result, mental health challenges often first emerge during adolescence. Refugee adolescents are a particularly vulnerable group, as normal adolescent stress is compounded with resettlement stress. This research examined how Syrian refugee adolescents conceptualize mental health. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews with Syrian refugee adolescents (n = 7) and service providers (n = 8) in the Greater Toronto Area. Data analysis was informed by grounded theory. The findings indicate that conceptualizations of mental health are highly dependent on how the concept is framed. However, when expressed using alternative descriptors, adolescents were able to identify factors that they believed influence mental health status, including factors at the individual, microsystem, and mesosystem level. Throughout interviews, aspects of adolescents’ identity emerged.
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Metadata
Title
Understanding Mental Health and Identity from Syrian Refugee Adolescents’ Perspectives
Authors
Tali Filler
Katholiki Georgiades
Nazilla Khanlou
Olive Wahoush
Publication date
01-06-2021
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction / Issue 3/2021
Print ISSN: 1557-1874
Electronic ISSN: 1557-1882
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00185-z

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