Peer Group and Mental Health: Empowering Young Immigrants After The COVID-19 Pandemic
Salerno, Adriana; Snellman, Sanni (2022)
Salerno, Adriana
Snellman, Sanni
2022
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022112123382
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2022112123382
Tiivistelmä
Adriana Salerno and Sanni Snellman
Peer Group and Mental Health: Empowering Young Immigrants After The COVID-19 Pandemic
59 pages, 5 appendices
Published in November 2022
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Bachelor’s Degree Program in Social Services
Bachelor of Social Services
The aim of the thesis project was to organise a peer support group for young immigrants, to empower them after the COVID-19 pandemic. This target group was chosen for the project because studies show that the mental health of young immigrants had been especially affected by the pandemic. The working life partner of this thesis was Pro Lapinlahti Mielenterveysseura, which is an organization that arranges different events, activities and exhibitions related to mental health. One of their projects called MIITTI, aims to support integration through cultural events, artistic activities, and exercise. Our project was based on the MIITTI method, developed by them under the umbrella of Pro Lapinlahti, to provide young immigrants a safe place to share and connect with other participants in a relaxed setting.
This project was implemented in July of 2022, with a total of four meetings that included activities as well as open discussions about mental health related topics. For that reason, this thesis contains definitions and information on mental health, coping mechanisms and peer support groups. During the project it was observed that there was clear demand for peer support groups for young immigrants, since many people expressed their interest in participating. At the end of the thesis, we also included the feedback from the participants, which was analysed, so that the findings can be utilized to organize similar groups in the future.
Keywords: Mental Health, Peer Group, Immigrant Youth, Pandemic Effects, Empowerment, Peer Support, COVID-19.
Peer Group and Mental Health: Empowering Young Immigrants After The COVID-19 Pandemic
59 pages, 5 appendices
Published in November 2022
Diaconia University of Applied Sciences
Bachelor’s Degree Program in Social Services
Bachelor of Social Services
The aim of the thesis project was to organise a peer support group for young immigrants, to empower them after the COVID-19 pandemic. This target group was chosen for the project because studies show that the mental health of young immigrants had been especially affected by the pandemic. The working life partner of this thesis was Pro Lapinlahti Mielenterveysseura, which is an organization that arranges different events, activities and exhibitions related to mental health. One of their projects called MIITTI, aims to support integration through cultural events, artistic activities, and exercise. Our project was based on the MIITTI method, developed by them under the umbrella of Pro Lapinlahti, to provide young immigrants a safe place to share and connect with other participants in a relaxed setting.
This project was implemented in July of 2022, with a total of four meetings that included activities as well as open discussions about mental health related topics. For that reason, this thesis contains definitions and information on mental health, coping mechanisms and peer support groups. During the project it was observed that there was clear demand for peer support groups for young immigrants, since many people expressed their interest in participating. At the end of the thesis, we also included the feedback from the participants, which was analysed, so that the findings can be utilized to organize similar groups in the future.
Keywords: Mental Health, Peer Group, Immigrant Youth, Pandemic Effects, Empowerment, Peer Support, COVID-19.