Substance Abuse and its Prevention Programs: The Case of Refugee Youth

Substance Abuse and its Prevention Programs: The Case of Refugee Youth

Substance abuse is a growing concern in the world due to its health, social and economic consequences. Much research has been conducted on its prevalence and on substance abuse prevention programs designed to mitigate health, social and economic problems associated with this issue. Despite coordinated efforts of academics and policymakers, substance abuse is still prevalent, and many prevention programs are yet to reach their full potential amongst refugee youth aged 12-24 of African, Middle Eastern, and South American origins. Even though there are few studies in this area, this thesis provides a synthesis of the existing literature. The study outlines the state of substance abuse and its prevention programs in the context of refugee youth. The study uses Behavioural Choice Theory to explain how an individual can reduce substance abuse and the application of the theory to the synthesis of the findings from the literature further enhances understanding of substance abuse and its prevention programs amongst refugee youth. The study follows the ‘Thesis by Publication’ approach to present the outcomes of the research. As such, the thesis presents two papers that explore the state of substance abuse and its prevention programs amongst refugee youth. Paper one uses a scoping review method to map out the state of substance abuse amongst refugee youth using existing literature by synthesising three specific aspects of substance abuse: (i) the state of substance abuse amongst refugee youth, (ii) the risk factors that increase the prospect of substance abuse amongst refugee youth, and (iii) the consequences they experience and how substance abuse can be mitigated. While paper two uses a systematic literature review to examine substance abuse prevention programs amongst refugee youth by identifying such programs under the following subsections: (i) different substance abuse prevention programs that are used to assist refugee youth with substance abuse, (ii) refugee youth’s attitudes toward substance abuse prevention programs, and (iii) the outcomes of substance abuse prevention programs. The findings from the two papers indicate that substance abuse is prevalent amongst refugee youth, exacerbated by pre-and post-migration risk factors. Refugee youth suffer negative consequences as a result but do not know where they could seek assistance. Findings also show a lack of focus on substance abuse prevention programs specifically related to refugee youth. As such, this research illuminates the state of substance abuse and its associated prevention programs amongst refugee youth. The findings from the study add value to the existing knowledge about the state of substance abuse amongst refugee youth. Directions for future research on substance abuse prevention programs are also indicated. The findings will assist stakeholders to better support refugee youth with substance-related issues by designing targeted interventions.

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