Lessons from the experience of adolescent migrants during the COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland: a qualitative study
International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care
ISSN: 1747-9894
Article publication date: 23 October 2023
Issue publication date: 27 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Three years after the COVID epidemic and the measures put in place by governments, the authors still cannot measure the full impact of them on the well-being and mental health of adolescents. This population was particularly impacted by this crisis, and some subgroups of young people, such as those from migration backgrounds, have been confronted with additional challenges. This paper aims to explore and describe the perspective and experience of migrant adolescents during the lockdown period
Design/methodology/approach
The authors performed 13 semi-structured interviews with migrant adolescents (nine females, median age 16) at the pediatric policlinic of Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland between November 2020 and January 2021. Participants had been living in Switzerland for an average of 2.3 years. Three of them were staying in a refugee reception centre. A thematic content analysis was carried out to extract themes and topics.
Findings
Participants had difficulty understanding information about COVID-19 in general. Remote learning was described as stressful due to various factors and lockdown had an impact on their future plans, such as finding an apprenticeship. Some young people were already socially isolated, but families were generally supportive. They expressed particular concerns, such as the family’s financial situation and the difficulty of living in refugee reception centres.
Practical implications
In the event of further lockdown, special attention must be paid to these adolescents to ensure their proper development and integration. Comprehensive follow-up of this population during and after the pandemic is essential.
Originality/value
This study provides a better understanding of the pandemic experience of migrant adolescents and underlines their difficulties.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements: The authors thank all the youth participants.
Funding: No financial support was received.
Competing interests: The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.
Author contributions: All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Yara Barrense-Dias and Caroline Heiniger. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Caroline Heiniger, and all authors commented on subsequent versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Ethical approval: This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The research protocol was approved by the Cantonal (Vaud) Ethics Committee for Research on Human Beings (Date 29/09/2022/No # 2020–01858).
Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. According to the current Swiss law and the minimal risks of the study, adolescents over 14 years of age could participate in the study without the consent of a legal representative.
Citation
Heiniger, C., Suris, J.-C. and Barrense-Dias, Y. (2023), "Lessons from the experience of adolescent migrants during the COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland: a qualitative study", International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, Vol. 19 No. 3/4, pp. 310-325. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMHSC-08-2022-0086
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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