At risk or resilient? Examining the effects of having a migration background on mental and social wellbeing outcomes amongst adolescents

Abstract

This study examines how different migration backgrounds-non-migrants, newly-arrived migrants, first-generation migrants, and second-generation migrants-affect the mental and social wellbeing of adolescents. Data from two cross-sectional surveys in 2022 in Flanders, Belgium, included 17,639 adolescents (52% boys; aged 11–19). We analysed the association between migration background and four outcomes: depression symptoms (WHO-5 Wellbeing Index), and general-, social-, and emotional-loneliness (Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale), whilst accounting for age and sex differences. Our findings indicate that migration background significantly influences all four outcomes. Newly-arrived migrants showed the highest likelihood of experiencing depression (OR = 2.08) and loneliness (general OR = 2.12; social OR = 2.32; emotional OR = 2.89), when compared to their non-migrant peers. Similarly, non-newcomer first-generation and second-generation migrants also faced a higher risk of depression and loneliness compared to non-migrants. This study highlights the persistent challenges that migration poses for adolescents’ social and mental wellbeing, and the extreme vulnerability of newly-arrived migrants.