Rebuilding life after migration: Research protocol of a mixed methods study on settlement experiences of refugee and migrant youth

PLoS One. 2023 Apr 28;18(4):e0285023. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285023. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Internationally, there is an urgent need to understand factors promoting successful settlement and integration of people with forced or voluntary migration experiences (i.e., refugee and non-refugee migrants). This paper provides a protocol of a mixed-methods investigation of contextual factors of successful settlement and service utilization of youth and their families, as young people could be at higher risk due to stressors associated with pre-migration trauma, post-migration settlement stressors, and adolescent development. This large-scale mixed-methods study will be conducted across three countries. A questionnaire survey will seek responses from 1200 youth aged 15-24 years residing in South Australia, Ontario, Canada, and California, United States of America. The qualitative component of the study will comprise 54 focus groups (324 participants) with youth and their parents/caregivers. The study design allows a range of important phenomena (e.g., different migration pathways and settlement countries) and key questions (e.g., regarding the intersection of migration, settlement, and wellbeing) to be addressed. It also allows for generalizability of findings to be tested across different communities and countries. Findings will support recommendations for policy and practice and may be generalized to advance research with youth and their families. This study is one of the largest, most comprehensive studies of youth settlement.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Focus Groups
  • Humans
  • Ontario
  • Parents
  • Qualitative Research
  • Refugees*
  • South Australia
  • Transients and Migrants*

Grants and funding

This study was funded by an Australian Research Council grant, LP190100740. The funders did not and will not have a role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.