NCJ Number
194996
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 21 Issue: 1 Dated: March 2002 Pages: 24-33
Date Published
March 2002
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article presents an overview of health issues affecting migrant adolescents in Australia.
Abstract
Australia’s ethnic minority adolescents are a heterogeneous group, drawn from diverse cultural groups with more than 70 languages spoken in Australian schools. Acknowledgment and tolerance of cultural and religious beliefs is integral to the health and well being of the many Australians who have come from other countries. There is no research that identified culture and ethnicity alone as consequential influences on mental health. It was the social context in which young people lived that had the most significant impact on their mental health. Those adolescents from homes where a language other than English was spoken had a lower usage of smoking and alcohol consumption than did their English-speaking peers. Adolescents from Southeast Asia showed consistently lower usage rates of all substances. Ethnic minority adolescents shared the same complex variances in levels of cognitive development as their Anglo-Australian counterparts. Australia’s diverse ethnic minority adolescents navigate an institutionalized health system that has been set within an Anglo-centric framework. There is no literature that shows the extent to which culture and/or ethnicity influence their health perceptions, response, or outcomes. They must learn to balance their familial, cultural, and ethnic belief systems within the cultural frameworks of the host community. Comparing research outcomes related to Australian adolescents from ethnic minority groups is difficult, particularly those from non-English-speaking backgrounds. A significant gap remains in relation to complexities of ethnic adolescent health. Ethnic adolescent health research should incorporate cultural, family, peer, socioeconomic and religious beliefs, values, and practices. Research into culturally competent interventions is essential if there is to be improvement in the health outcomes of this group of marginalized youth. 55 references