Study design: Pathways to Independence – A study of unaccompanied minor refugees settled in a Norwegian city municipality

Abstract

Aims: The aim of the ‘Pathways to Independence’ study was to gain knowledge of how to facilitate a healthy development for unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) after settling in Norwegian municipalities.

Methods: The project is located in the URM child welfare services (URM CWS) of the Bergen municipality. We invited 101 URMs older than 15 years connected to the URM CWS to participate in a comprehensive survey. Of the invited, 81 consented to participate. The survey included questions on the user’s experiences and satisfaction with the URM CWS, and questions related to schooling, social support and activities after settlement. We also included standardized and validated questionnaires on potential traumatic events, mental and somatic health, protective factors and quality of life. These questionnaires have previously been used in two Norwegian epidemiological studies, the ‘Youth@Hordaland’ and ‘Young in Foster care’, facilitating comparison of the results with other youth populations in Norway.

Conclusion: Results from the project will be valuable in the process of reaching knowledge-based recommendations for successful settlement of URMs.