The experiences of children and adolescents undergoing forced separation from their parents during migration: A systematic review

Abstract

Globally, the migration of unaccompanied minors is increasing, however, the experiences of these children have not been examined. We systematically synthesised the existing qualitative literature to examine the experiences of children undergoing forced separation from their parents during migration. The review was structured based on the PRISMA statement. A systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO and Scopus databases from inception to November 23, 2020 was conducted to retrieve eligible studies. Only qualitative studies of children aged ≤18 years were reviewed. The data analysis and synthesis were informed by the intersectionality framework. The search yielded 10,956 studies of which eight were included in this review. Thematic analysis identified the following themes: unaccompanied minors experience a deep sense of loss; anxiety over the uncertainty of the migration process; difficulty adjusting to their new life in the host country and adverse health effects. These experiences were heightened by children's exposure to violence during migration. The intersectionality framework suggests that unaccompanied minors experience separation from their parents during migration in ways that marginalise them and widen inequalities. Migration processes need to be streamlined to provide integrated health, emotional, legal and educational supports for unaccompanied children with particular attention given to treating the trauma of past violence. More research is needed to explore how to facilitate the integration of unaccompanied children into host communities in ways that are healing and empowering.

Friendship attachment style, intolerance of uncertainty, and psychological distress among unaccompanied immigrant minors in times of COVID‐19

“…Also, our sample was exclusively composed of male adolescents due to the unbalanced gender distribution of UIMs who migrate to Italy (Save the Children, 2023). Even though this situation is common to many other receiving countries, future studies are needed to investigate the experience of unaccompanied girls, who are at increased risk of experiencing sexual violence and therefore deserve particular attention (Oldroyd et al, 2022). Third, the heterogeneity in terms of participants' countries of origin prevented us from taking possible influences of their cultural values into account.…”

“…Migration‐related experiences and hardship generate feelings of mistrust that could compromise these youths' motivation to develop friendships (Essex et al, 2022). Moreover, the persistent uncertainty experienced by UIMs in relation to their stay in the receiving country might be linked to a heightened anxiety over their future (Oldroyd et al, 2022), even more so during an unprecedented global health emergency such as the COVID‐19 outbreak. Despite this evidence, little is known about how sense of trust in peer relationships and the ability to tolerate uncertain situations may be linked to UIMs' psychological adjustment.…”

“…After a short period during the summer when most restrictions were suspended, in the second wave—during which the current study was conducted—many were restored (e.g., online school lessons; social distancing measures and daily COVID‐19 testing at work/training), generating discomfort and loneliness (Faraci et al, 2022). Indeed, the tightening of the reception system conditions, the introduction of social distancing measures, and a general, COVID‐19 related precarity have likely contributed to an increased isolation and disruption of social relationships among UIMs, as well as to a greater anxiety over the uncertainty of their future (Barn et al, 2021; Oldroyd et al, 2022).…”

Brief psychological interventions to improve mental health outcomes in refugee populations: A systematic review

“…This suggests that the benefits of these interventions may not endure despite the initial alleviation of symptoms, indicating that brief interventions are unable to comprehensively address the substantial mental health challenges faced by this population. The benefits on mental health symptoms may also diminish due to ongoing stressors experienced by forcibly displaced persons; for example, many studies took place in refugee camps, with well-documented stressors such as challenges meeting basic survival needs or unsafe living conditions 5,6,35 . Not all studies conducted short-term follow-ups, and only a few conducted long-term follow-ups.…”

“…The population of refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced people has grown to 110 million in 2023 1 . The traumatic issues that force people to leave their homes, including persecution, violence, and human rights violations, have profound impacts on mental health 2-4 . They are then likely to experience additional stressful events during migration and resettlement in a new country [4][5][6] . As a result, forcibly displaced people have a markedly high prevalence of mental illness, notably posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety [7][8][9][10] .…”