The mental health of European adolescents with vs. without a migration background (2013–2024): a systematic review

Migration has been associated with both adverse and potentially beneficial mental health outcomes, with varying impacts on adolescents. With great flux in European migrations streams, an update is required of its effects on adolescent mental health. This systematic review provides an overview of the relationship between migration background (first, second, and third generation) and psychopathology for youth aged 12–25 living in Europe. A systematic search based on four concepts (i.e., mental health, human migration, European Union, and adolescents) carried out on Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycArticles and Proquest Central led to the retrieval of 51 relevant studies published between April 2013 and August 2024. The present study was conducted and reported according to the PRISMA 2020 Checklist. Our systematic search found some evidence for the increased risk of mental health problems in people with a migration background, showing overall elevated risks for the development of psychotic experiences, psychosomatic symptoms, eating disorders, substance-related disorders and suicidal actions in the migrant population. Little consistent high-quality evidence was found for the effects of migration on any other mental health problems. Identified risk factors for adolescents with a migration background included being a first-generation migrant, low socio-economic status, low ethnic identification, and perceived discrimination. Results are mixed, but suggest that, overall, adolescents with a migration background have a mental health disadvantage. Intervention and prevention programs can be strengthened, not only by focusing more specifically on adolescent migrants, but also by considering the different contexts and experiences that put them at increased risk.