Promoting resilience and sexual and reproductive health among adolescent migrants: a comprehensive approach

Abstract

Background: Migrant adolescents in Italy face intersecting risks that compromise mental health, including trauma exposure, legal precarity, and systemic barriers to care. Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a critical yet often overlooked determinant of adolescent wellbeing. Despite international guidelines endorsing adolescent SRH rights, such domains are rarely integrated into psychiatric care for displaced youth. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional exploratory survey involving 58 migrant adolescents aged 15–17 years, all residing in Italy for less than five years. Data collection was facilitated by trained cultural mediators in Italian, Arabic, Bengali, French, and Urdu. The questionnaire assessed SRH knowledge, service awareness, gender attitudes, and self-reported resilience. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze item-level responses, supported by a narrative synthesis of resilience-oriented, life-skills-based interventions developed by UNFPA and UNICEF. Interpretation was grounded in trauma-informed and rights-based frameworks. Results: Findings revealed substantial SRH knowledge gaps, limited awareness of adolescent-friendly services, and frequent communication barriers with formal health providers. While patriarchal gender norms remained prevalent, attitudes showed signs of adaptation in longer-settled youth. Moderate-to-high resilience was observed across domains of self-efficacy, future orientation, and social connectedness. Notably, adolescents with greater SRH literacy reported higher mental health self-ratings and more confidence navigating local services. Conclusion: Integrating SRH literacy and culturally adapted life-skills education into migrant psychiatry offers a promising pathway to enhance adolescent resilience and reduce psychiatric vulnerability. Trauma-informed, participatory models—delivered through trusted mediators—can address both knowledge gaps and emotional distress, aligning psychiatric care with the complex lived realities of migrant youth in Italy.