Impacts of The Asylum-Seeking Process on The Mental Health of The Unaccompanied Minors in Gothenburg, Sweden

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate factors associated with mental health among unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors in Gothenburg, Sweden. It is a qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews with one nurse, a manager of one of the homes for unaccompanied minors (UAM) and five unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors coming from Kenya (1), Afghanistan (3) and Iran (1). It is hoped that the findings from this research will help policy developers in advocating for policies that are aimed at the enhancement of the mental well-being of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors coming to Sweden. The findings show that the asylum-seeking process does have an impact on the mental health of the unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors and that it does not only affect their mental well-being, but it also affects other aspects of their lives. These minors are faced with mental issues such as depression and anxiety that in some cases lead to self-harm and suicide thoughts among this vulnerable group