Four mental health profiles among young people with refugee backgrounds
19 August 2025
Emma Hedlin
Children and young adults with refugee backgrounds show diverse mental health patterns, according to a new study by Johan Andersson et al. The study provides new insights for improving support efforts for these young people.
Johan Andersson presents his study in Strasbourg.
“Most children and young adults who have fled their homes have experienced some form of violence, but a minority of them develop poor mental health. In my research, I try to understand these differences in health and use person-centered statistical methods to increase knowledge about risk and protective factors and the link between violence and mental health in this group”, says Johan Andersson, PhD student at Barnafrid.
The new research study is published in JAACAP Open under the title “Latent Profile Analysis of Mental Health Among Children and Young Adults With Refugee Backgrounds.” The study, which included 258 participating children and young adults with data collected between 2019 and 2022, aims to improve understanding of mental health within this heterogeneous group and enable more targeted interventions. The study has identified four distinct mental health profiles among children and young adults with refugee backgrounds in Sweden.
Four profiles of mental health
Through a latent profile analysis (LPA), Johan Andersson et al. has been able to identify the following profiles:
Good mental health (58.1%) – low levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), good functioning and well-being.
Severe mental distress (13.6%) – high PTSS, low functioning and well-being.
Resilient (15.9%) – high PTSS, good functioning, moderate well-being.
By using person-centered statistical methods, such as LPA, it is possible to combine several different indicators of mental health and thereby identify clinically relevant subgroups or profiles.
“The combination of indicators gives us a better basis for understanding differences in mental health, which can guide us in determining what interventions are needed for a particular group. Mental health is more than just the presence or absence of symptoms; for example, general functioning and perceived well-being play a major role, something that our research takes into account,” says Johan Andersson and continues:
“An overly one-sided focus on the most vulnerable risks overlooking both those who are doing well and those who have more subtle needs for support. The study emphasizes the importance of tailoring interventions to the individual's specific profile rather than applying general solutions.”
Social factors play a major role
The study shows that social determinants such as fleeing to Sweden without guardians (unaccompanied minors), asylum status, experiences of violence, sexual abuse, and child maltreatment have a significant impact on the profile to which the individual belongs. These factors help explain the differences in mental health within the group.
“We saw that the strongest links to severe mental health problems was arriving in Sweden as an unaccompanied minor and having an uncertain asylum status. This confirms previous research and highlights the importance of community and societal efforts after arrival in a new country. Proper care and feelings of safety and stability are incredibly important for good mental health,” says Johan.
Future research
According to Johan Andersson, this is the first study to use person-centered statistical methods to identify clinically relevant mental health profiles among children and young adults with refugee backgrounds. He emphasizes that the results need to be replicated in future studies.
“There are other important factors that we have not been able to investigate in our study. One such factor is how parents' health affects their children's mental health and the stress of living as a refugee in a new country,” concludes Johan.
