Coming of Age in a New Land: Factors for Success

Protracted civil war and unrest in Africa has dramatically increased the number of refugee families seeking resettlement in the U.S. Many of these families arrive after multiple relocations in Africa, with few financial resources, stressed family relationships and mental health symptoms of stress, depression and PTSD. The purpose of this ethnographic study is to explore the factors for successful social and mental health adjustment of the adolescent members of the participating families (Liberian and Burundian families relocating to Chicago or Boston, n=80). Data was collected over a two year period by trained indigenous community health workers and academic investigators and includes in-depth interviews with parents, adolescents and providers, shadowing observations and formal case studies; this dataset includes over 300 primary sources as well as secondary data. Thematic analysis was conducted using atlas ti. Several themes related to adjustment have emerged: pre-migration experiences, family solidarity, parental education and parental mental health status. Adolescents struggling to adjust reported difficulties in school (learning English, catching up academically); missing family members back home; lack of privacy; and problems developing peer relationships. Adolescents thriving in their new surroundings often relied upon community connections, especially through their faith communities. Parental participation in education assisted adjustment. Results point towards the importance of a culturally tailored intervention to strengthen community connections and assist parents and adolescents to adjust to the U. S. education system. Policy implications include the need to revisit the type of services offered to refugee families and the length of time needed for successful resettlement.