PROJECT CONFERENCE, 10.12.22

On 10.12.22 a conference was held for the dissemination of the results of the study with the title: "Life in limbo: Psychosocial Support and Mental Health of Unaccompanied Minors in Greece". The conference took place at the auditorium of the Department of Nursing of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

More specifically, the aim of the conference was to present the challenges and opportunities experienced by unaccompanied minors hosted in Greece and to highlight the results of the study. During the conference, a productive dialogue was conducted regarding the proposals and some good practices highlighted in the study, with the aim of ensuring and improving the mental health of unaccompanied minors residing in long-term accommodation facilities.

The poster and the program of the conference can be found here.

To watch the video of the conference click here.

Our research team estimated that focus groups with UASC should not be held online, because it would create significant challenges for establishing an environment of trust and safety and, chose to displace the focus groups with minors at a later point in time, and ensure their live participation in Athens, Thessaloniki and Mytilini, after permission is granted by the local Prosecutor Authorities. For the conduction of these focus groups, our research team has already prepared educational material for the training of the interpreters who will participate in the focus groups.

Finally, given that the results obtained in the 1st phase of this study have revealed that UASC with high levels of distress engage in conflicts, adopt self-harm behaviors and resort to substance misuse or abuse, we decided to include two focus groups with UASC to explore in greater depth the incidents of conflict and drug abuse, which are the subject of two post-doctoral dissertations conducted in the context of the present study.

More specifically, the two post-doctoral studies are the following:

“Conflict and Violence management in long-term accommodation structures for unaccompanied refugee children in Greece” by Eugenia Vathakou, Tutor Counsellor at Hellenic Open University, member of the project’s research team

“The use of drugs in long-term accommodation structures for unaccompanied refugee children in Greece” by Gerasimos Papanastasatos, Director of the Research Dept. KETHEA, member of the project’s research team