Introduction

Risk behaviors and well-being among Egyptian and Roma adolescents in Albania during the COVID-19 pandemic: Vulnerability and resilience in a positive youth development perspective

“…Although mounting evidence denounces how the pandemic is exacerbating social and health disparities in our society ( Miconi et al, 2021b ; Venkatesh et al, 2021 ) and impacting negatively especially adolescents’ development and mental health ( Loades et al, 2020 ; Nearchou et al, 2020 ), research on vulnerable minority youth within a PYD approach during the pandemic is still scarce. This is even more true for Egyptian and Roma minority youth in Albania, two understudied communities who have endured a long history of oppression and marginalization in the country ( De Soto et al, 2005 ; Republic of Albania, 2015 ) and who are likely to be particularly affected by the negative short- and long-term consequences of COVID-19 on psycho-social adjustment and well-being ( Benner and Mistry, 2020 ; Larkins, 2020 ; Hawes et al, 2021 ; Miconi et al, 2021a ). This community-based quantitative study adopted a PYD approach to assess levels of risk behaviors and well-being among a sample of Egyptian and Roma minority youth in Albania during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

“…Egyptian and Roma communities are two of the most stigmatized and discriminated minority groups in Albania ( De Soto et al, 2005 ). Due to systemic discrimination and inequalities, Egyptian and Roma youth’s voices and participation are often excluded from research, policies and interventions ( Larkins, 2020 ). Indeed, Egyptian and Roma communities are extremely hard to reach compared to other minorities in Albania and this is partly due to their distrust of the majority group as well as some resistance to revealing their ethnicity because of fear of discrimination ( Klaus and Marsh, 2014 ).…”

“…A recent report denounced a concerning situation during this health emergency for Roma communities across nine European countries. The authors found that these communities lacked essential and basic health, income and education, and that due to systemic discrimination, Roma youth were excluded from participation in research initiatives ( Larkins, 2020 ). At the beginning of the pandemic, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child’s highlighted the importance of the participation and inclusion of Roma’s youth in the research and response to the pandemic to prevent the widening of health, social and educational inequalities ( Larkins, 2020 ; Milkova and Larkins, 2020 ).…”