Service providers’ competence and cross-cultural aspects of mental health promotion for immigrant youth: A quantitative approach

After the succession of wars in all of the countries of former Yugoslavia, a large numbers of immigrants/refugees were forced toward other countries in Europe. These developments led to widespread problems affecting many different aspects of life, including social life and health. Almost all European countries have experienced large-scale migration, while refugees are an increasing part of the migrant stock and there are a significant number of children and adolescents of migrant origins. Among the primary concerns is the need to find ways to better address the question of the health of these forced migrants, and particularly of adolescents. Adolescents are agents of change in their societies, they will shape the future, and the extent to which we effectively nurture their development during this vulnerable period of rapid change and transition has important implications for the present and the future of this generation and the next.