Humanitarian Crises and Adolescent Well‐being: Knowledge, Gaps, and Prospects

Abstract

Adolescence constitutes the second and final window of human growth and a period of specific vulnerabilities, such as early pregnancy, early marriage, HIV infection, suicide, violence, alcohol, and drugs. Only a limited body of research investigates the effects of humanitarian crises on the human capital and well‐being of adolescents. The evidence focuses on the short‐term effects of conflict and, to a lesser extent, natural disasters on education, physical health, and nutrition, but not on mental health. Most analyses examine the situations of individuals exposed in utero and young childhood, but rarely during adolescence. Typically missing are robust empirical identification strategies and estimates on heterogeneous effects across age or gender. The lack of quality data and challenges in defining adolescence, establishing causality, or ensuring ethical research explain the knowledge gaps. Possible ways to expand the evidence base include mixing georeferenced data on individual location with georeferenced data on crises, sharpening quasi‐experimental analytical techniques, and reconsidering the current timing of demographic data collection, now spanning 4‐ or 5‐year intervals. The failure to make such adjustments will end by ignoring specific vulnerabilities among adolescents and render sustainable progress in well‐being globally, narrowing inequalities, and guaranteeing human rights to all more difficult to achieve.

Adolescent wellbeing in humanitarian and fragile settings: moving beyond rhetoric

“…Despite the high number of humanitarian and fragile settings globally, evidence documenting the effects of such crises on adolescent wellbeing is limited. 3 7 This lack of data cuts across all five domains in the 2020 framework conceptualising adolescent wellbeing 8 : good health and optimum nutrition; connectedness, positive values, and contribution to society; safety and a supportive environment; learning, competence, education, skills, and employability; and agency and resilience. Current indicators focus on physical health, education, fertility, and employment and overlook critical but difficult to measure aspects of wellbeing such as self-esteem, relationships and connectedness, resilience, stress, depression, and anxiety.…”

“…Current indicators focus on physical health, education, fertility, and employment and overlook critical but difficult to measure aspects of wellbeing such as self-esteem, relationships and connectedness, resilience, stress, depression, and anxiety. 3 In addition, most studies are cross sectional because the high mobility of these populations makes collecting longitudinal data difficult, and they therefore cannot assess causality. 3 …”

“… 3 In addition, most studies are cross sectional because the high mobility of these populations makes collecting longitudinal data difficult, and they therefore cannot assess causality. 3 …”

“…12 Other ethical challenges when collecting data from adolescents include the sensitivity around asking about traumatic events such as abuse, difficulties ensuring privacy and confidentiality, and concerns around the power relations between researchers and adolescents. 3 …”

“…These factors increase the vulnerability of adolescents to problems such as misuse of drugs and alcohol, sexual exploitation, academic underachievement because of interruption to schooling, reduced economic prospects, chronic poverty, poor psychosocial outcomes, and sexual and gender based violence. 3 …”