“Our Needs Our Solutions”: Workshop with Migrant Adolescents on Their Emotional and Relational Needs

Elena Rodríguez-Ventosa Herrera (), María Angustias Roldán Franco and Isabel Muñoz-San Roque
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Elena Rodríguez-Ventosa Herrera: Department of Psychology, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Calle Universidad de Comillas 3, 28108 Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain
María Angustias Roldán Franco: Department of Psychology, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Calle Universidad de Comillas 3, 28108 Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain
Isabel Muñoz-San Roque: Department of Education, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, Calle Universidad de Comillas 3, 28108 Alcobendas, Madrid, Spain

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-19

Abstract: Migrant adolescents face unique emotional and relational challenges that can hinder their well-being and development. While prior research has identified many of these challenges, there is limited work exploring migrant adolescents’ perspectives on their needs. This study aims to bridge that gap by adopting a participatory approach to investigate the emotional and relational needs of migrant adolescents in Spain and the solutions they propose to address them. Using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory as the theoretical framework, we conducted qualitative participatory research with migrant adolescents. They identified their emotional and relational needs, which were categorised into six thematic areas distributed across the ecological levels. The themes include supporting their families, receiving recognition and emotional support from relatives, improving school and societal experiences, learning the host language, gaining empathy from the local population, and regularising their legal status. The key actors identified to help meet their needs include parents, teachers, peers, society, and policymakers. The participants proposed self-directed solutions to these challenges, such as fostering peer relationships and advocating for policy reforms. The findings suggest that migrant adolescents have valuable insights into their emotional and relational needs, emphasising the importance of involving them in shaping interventions that support their inclusion and mental health.

Keywords: migrants; adolescents; emotional needs; relational needs; participatory research; ecological systems theory (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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