The Interuniversity Laboratory of Psychology – Personality, Cognition, Social Change ( LIP/PC2S) at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc is organizing the 2nd International Conference on Intercultural Clinical Psychology, titled “Reception and Future Prospects for Unaccompanied Minors: What Support for What Projects?” on April 4 and 5, 2019.
The conference will take place from 8:20 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Building 19 on the Jacob-Bellecombette campus.
About the conference
Due to their exposure to numerous risks—before departure, during migration, and upon arrival—unaccompanied minors (UMs) are highly vulnerable and at risk of developing mental health issues. This vulnerability can be compounded by the fact that their migration journeys occur during a fragile developmental stage in which identity formation may be impacted not only by the effects of the traumatic experiences they have endured but also by the daily stressors they face at every stage of their journey. Added to this is the fact that they must adapt, in their host country, to a new culture with limited resources and no certainty regarding their future in that country. The acculturative stress arising from this immersion in a new place and a new frame of reference could undermine these young people’s narcissistic foundations and/or reactivate and even amplify their experience of post-traumatic stress.
This symposium has multiple objectives. On the one hand, it aims to revisit this psychological vulnerability, to clarify its nature, and to identify the individual and collective resources that help sustain the self against pathological breakdown. On the other hand, it aims to assess the care and support services offered to these unaccompanied minors and to discuss their relevance in relation to the migration plans of the young people in care. Finally, the aim is to attempt a reassessment of these young people’s mental health and their capacity for resilience once they have reached the age of majority and are no longer under the protection of child welfare services.
Speakers
These sessions will be led by faculty members, clinicians, and social workers who are active in the field of child protection and deal with issues related to unaccompanied minors. They are intended for psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, educators, and all professionals and volunteers concerned with these issues. Thank you in advance!
Principal Investigator: Dr. Yahyaoui Abdessalem
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