Scoping Review on psychological adaptation and sociocultural adaptation of adolescent migrants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64966/rl.1661Keywords:
adolescent migrants, psychological adaptation, sociocultural adaptation, instruments, scoping reviewAbstract
Adaptation to a new society is especially complex during adolescence, a stage marked by heightened vulnerability and developmental transitions. This scoping review analyzes the conceptualization and measurement of psychological and sociocultural adaptation in migrant adolescents, considering quantitative or mixed-method empirical studies published in English or Spanish between 2019 and 2024, identified through searches in Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, SciELO, Redalyc, and BASE. Information on variables, instruments used, and their psychometric characteristics was extracted. Nine studies were included. Findings indicate that psychological adaptation is conceptualized as healthy functioning, positive self-esteem, and meaningful relationships with the environment, influenced by sociodemographic, psychological, and relational factors. Among 13 instruments measuring psychological adaptation, only one explicitly assesses the construct. Sociocultural adaptation was directly measured in only one study, defined as the ability to function effectively in daily life within the host culture, influenced by cultural identity and perceived cultural distance. These findings highlight the need for clearer conceptual distinctions and improved measurement tools in research on adolescent migrants' adaptation.
References
Balidemaj, A., & Small, M. (2019). The effects of ethnic identity and acculturation in mental health of immigrants: A literature review. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 65(7-8), 643-655. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764019867994
Baumert, J., Becker, M., Jansen, M., & Köller, O. (2024). Cultural identity and the academic, social, and psychological adjustment of adolescents with immigration background. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 53(2), 294-315. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01853-z
Belhadj, E., Lorenz, A. L., Dupont, M., & Petermann, F. (2015). Internalizing disorders in migrant and non-migrant children and adolescents: Analyses of a German health care population. Journal of Public Health, 23(6), 349-361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-015-0688-1
Bennouna, C., Khauli, N., Basir, M., Allaf, C., Wessells, M., & Stark, L. (2019). School-based programs for Supporting the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of adolescent forced migrants in high-income countries: A scoping review. Social Science & Medicine, 239, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112558
Bozdağ, F., & Bilge, F. (2021). Self-Construals, adjustment problems and coping styles of internal migrant and non-migrant adolescents. Current Psychology, 42(7), 5265-5279. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01889-z
Brunsting, N. C., Zachry, C., & Takeuchi, R. (2018). Predictors of undergraduate international student psychosocial adjustment to US universities: A systematic review from 2009-2018. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 66, 22-33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2018.06.002
Bullinger, M., Brütt, A. L., Erhart, M., Ravens-Sieberer, U., & BELLA Study Group. (2008). Psychometric properties of the KINDL-R questionnaire: Results of the BELLA study. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 17, 125-132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-008-1014-z
Bustos, C., Morales, M. G., Salcedo, P., & Díaz, A. (2018). Buhos: A web-based systematic literature review management software. SoftwareX, 7, 360-372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2018.10.004
Cao, J., Xie, M., & Lin, D. (2022). Trajectories of perceived discrimination among chinese rural-to-urban migrant early adolescents: Predictors and outcomes. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 51(5), 871-887. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01546-5
Castro, A., & Lupano, M. L. (2013). Predictores de la adaptación sociocultural de estudiantes universitarios extranjeros en Argentina [Predictors of the Sociocultural Adaptation of Foreign University Students in Argentina]. Interdisciplinaria, 30(2), 265-281. https://doi.org/10.16888/interd.2013.30.2.6
Cazau, P. (2004). Categorización y operacionalización [Categorization and Operationalization]. Universidad Pedagógica de Durango. https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=2880797
Curtis, P., Thompson, J., & Fairbrother, H. (2018). Migrant children within Europe: A systematic review of children’s perspectives on their health experiences. Public Health, 158, 71-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2018.01.038
Darmanaki, L., & Bradley, G. (2018). The Role of Psychosocial Resources in the Adjustment of Migrant Adolescents. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 12(e3), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1017/prp.2017.21
Dorp, M., Boon, A., Spijkerman, R., & Los, L. (2021). Substance use prevalence rates among migrant and native adolescents in Europe: A systematic review. Drug and Alcohol Review, 40(2), 325-339. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13154
Dunn, T. J., Baguley, T., & Brunsden, V. (2014). From alpha to omega: A practical solution to the pervasive problem of internal consistency estimation. British Journal of Psychology (London, England: 1953), 105(3), 399-412. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjop.12046
Greischel, H., Noack, P., & Neyer, F. J. (2019). Finding myself abroad: Adolescent identity processes and sociocultural adaptation during intercultural transitions. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 50(4), 594-614. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022119831785
Hasnain, A., Hajek, J., & Borschmann, R. (2023). Impact of cultural and linguistic maintenance on mental health outcomes in migrant adolescents: Protocol for a scoping review. JMIR Research Protocols, 12, 1-7. https://doi.org/10.2196/40143
Jones, E. M., Reed, M., Gaab, J., & Ooi, Y. P. (2022). Adjustment in third culture kids: A systematic review of literature. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.939044
Kho, C., White, R. M. B., Zhao, C., Knight, G. P., & Roche, K. M. (2023). Familism values and psychological adjustment of Latinx adolescents in an emerging immigrant community: A five wave longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology, 59(7), 1315-1326. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001554
Lee, I.-S., & Jeon, J.-H. (2021). Development and effects of a psychosocial adaptation program for North Korean adolescent defectors. Child Health Nursing Research, 27(3), 243-255. https://doi.org/10.4094/chnr.2021.27.3.243
Lopez-Cortes, O. D., Betancourt-Núñez, A., Bernal Orozco, M. F., & Vizmanos, B. (2022). Scoping reviews: Una nueva forma de síntesis de la evidencia. Investigación en educación médica, 11(44), 98-104. https://doi.org/10.22201/fm.20075057e.2022.44.22447
Moher, D., Shamseer, L., Clarke, M., Ghersi, D., Liberati, A., Petticrew, M., Shekelle, P., Stewart, L. A., & PRISMA-P Group. (2015). Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Systematic Reviews, 4(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-4053-4-1
Park, J., & Han, Y. (2023). Developmental trajectories of Korean and heritage language proficiencies and their association with maladjustment among Korean multicultural adolescents. Child Development, 94(3), 617-632. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13887
Peters, M., Godfrey, C., McInerney, P., Munn, Z., Tricco, A., & Khalil, H. (2020). Chapter 11: Scoping reviews. En BI Reviewer’s Manual, JBI. https://reviewersmanual.joannabriggs.org/
Polanco-Roman, L., Ebrahimi, C. T., Mafnas, K. S. W., Hausmann-Stabile, C., Meca, A., Mazzula, S. L., Duarte, C. S., & Lewis-Fernández, R. (2023). Acculturation and suicide-related risk in ethnoracially minoritized youth in the US: A scoping review and content analysis of the empirical evidence. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 58(8), 1121-1137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-023-02494-0
Şafak-Ayvazoğlu, A., Kunuroglu, F., & Yağmur, K. (2021). Psychological and socio-cultural adaptation of Syrian refugees in Turkey. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 80, 99-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2020.11.003
Sarmiento, A. V., Pérez, M. V., Bustos, C., Hidalgo, J. P., & Vergara del Solar, J. I. V. (2019). Inclusion profile of theoretical frameworks on the study of sociocultural adaptation of international university students. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 70, 19-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2019.02.004
Shi, L., Chen, W., Bouey, J. H., Lin, Y., & Ling, L. (2019). Impact of acculturation and psychological adjustment on mental health among migrant adolescents in Guangzhou, China: A cross-sectional questionnaire study. BMJ Open, 9(5), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022712
Sidler, P., Baysu, G., Kassis, W., Janousch, C., Chouvati, R., Govaris, C., Graf, U., & Rietz, C. (2022). Minority and Majority Adolescents’ Attitudes toward Mutual Acculturation and its Association with Psychological Adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 51(8), 1511-1535. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-022-01604-6
Sirlopú, D., Varela, J., & Pacheco, D. (2018). Aculturación, adaptación psicológica y sociocultural en escolares inmigrantes peruanos en Chile [Acculturation, Psychological, and Sociocultural Adaptation in Peruvian Immigrant Schoolchildren in Chile]. Cuadernos Médico Sociales, 58(4), Article 4. https://cuadernosms.cl/index.php/cms/article/view/334
Ward, C., & Kennedy, A. (1993). Psychological and Socio‐cultural Adjustment during Cross‐cultural Transitions: A Comparison of Secondary Students Overseas and at Home. International Journal of Psychology, 28(2), 129-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207599308247181
Wyatt, L., Ung, T., Park, R., Kwon, S., & TrinhShevrin, C. (2015). Risk Factors of Suicide and Depression among Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Youth: A Systematic Literature Review. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 26(2), 191-237. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2015.0059
Zhang, J., & Goodson, P. (2011). Predictors of international students’ psychosocial adjustment to life in the United States: A systematic review. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 35(2), 139-162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2010.11.011
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Astrid Vanessa Sarmiento Quiñones, Benjamín Campos Puentes , Marcial Paolo Pastor Baquerizo, José Saavedra Ramírez, Claudio Bustos Navarrete
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
