Promoting adjustment and well-being of newly arrived immigrant adolescents (PIAYouth)

INTERVENTION: The study is a cluster randomized controlled trial, in which schools (teaching school years 7, 8, and 9) are randomly assigned to (1) the PIA Youth Program (Active intervention), or (2) waiting‐list control condition. The intervention groups are run either on‐site (at the school) or online using video conferencing tools. The PIA‐Youth program is a group‐based program to promote newly arrived refugee youth’s adjustment and well‐being. The program was developed based on Dissonance‐based Intervention (DBI) framework and the content was informed by the results from a series of interviews with members of the target group. The intervention focuses on important themes such as learning the language, adaption to a new cultural environment, cultural differences, social connection and belonging, handling challenges and seeking support, and setting up future goals. Each theme is covered in one of the si Xweekly meetings. The participants are recruited from schools, which are cluster randomized into: 1. The PIA Youth Program (Active intervention) 2. A waiting‐list control condition The program takes si Xweeks, with 6 weekly meetings that last 1.5 hours each. After 6 months of follow‐up, participants attending the control schools are offered the intervention program. Participants in both conditions assessed at pre‐test, si Xweeks after the pre‐test (post‐test) and 6 months after the pre‐test (follow‐up). CONDITION: Promoting the adjustment and well‐being of recently arrived immigrant adolescents in Sweden. ; Not Applicable PRIMARY OUTCOME: 1. Confidence in achieving career goals is measured using two items. First item is asking youth to rate their confidence in achieving their career goal (0 to 100%) and the second item asks about the perceived difficulty to achieve their goal at pre‐, post‐, and follow‐up.; 2. Confidence in achieving educational goals is measured using two items. First item is asking youth to rate their confidence in achieving their educational goal (0 to 100%) and the second item asks about the perceived difficulty to achieve their goal at pre‐, post‐, and follow‐up.; 3. Persistence is measured 5 items of the Academic Persistence (AP) Scale at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 4. Optimism was measured using an adapted version of the Optimism Scale (EPOCH) at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up. ; 5. Motivation to learn Swedish is measured using 6 items developed based on motivational theories on internal and external motivation at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up. ; 6. Perceived efficacy to learn Swedish is measured using 4 items developed based on Bandura’s Self‐efficacy Theory at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up. ; 7. Anxiety about future was measured using 6 items taken from the Hopelessness Scale for Children. The selected items measure hopelessness about future, and administered at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up.; 8. Cultural clashes is measured using five items of Cultural Clashed between Child and Parents measure at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 9. Efficacy for seeking help is measured using 6 items developed based on the enlisting social recourses subscale of Bandura’s Children’s Self‐efficacy Scale at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 10. Attitudes towards mental health problems is measured using from Self‐Stigma Depression Scale at at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Sense of societal belonging is measured using the Adolescents’ Societal Belongingness Scale (ASBS) at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 2. View of Swedish society is measured using the Views about the Swedish Society Scale (VS) at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 3. Motivation to acculturate is measured using the Acculturation Motivation (AM) measure at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 4. Ethnic identity clarity is measured using 6 items adopted from the Self‐Concept Clarity Scale at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 5. WHO well‐being inde Xis measured using the Well‐being Inde Xby WHO (WHO‐5) at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 6. Language anxiety is measured using 3 items adopted from Motivation for Learning English scale at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up; 7. Sense of futility is measured using the 4 item Sense of Futility Scale at pre‐test, post‐test, and follow‐up INCLUSION CRITERIA: 1. The youth immigrated to Sweden in 2015 or later 2. The youth is attending school grades 7 to 9 3. The youth is at between age 12 and 16 at the start of start of the program 4. The youth should be able to follow the programs in Swedish or in one of the other languages that the program materials are available: Arabic, Dari, Kurdish, Somalian, and Tigrinya.