Abstract
Adolescent refugees in European resettlement centers experience heightened vulnerability to psychological distress, post-traumatic stress, and social alienation due to compounded pre-migration trauma and protracted asylum procedures. Traditional psychiatric paradigms frequently overlook socio-ecological determinants and cultural nuances inherent to displaced youth. This longitudinal study evaluates the efficacy of a 12-month Community-Based Participatory Arts Intervention (CBPAI) on psychological well-being, trauma-related symptom load, and social connectedness among adolescent refugees (aged 13–18, N = 248) residing in reception facilities across Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands. Employing a mixed-methods design, participants were allocated to either a co-designed arts-based program (visual arts, digital storytelling, and collective music-making) or a treatment-as-usual supportive care control group. Quantitative metrics included the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10), the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Child Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8), administered at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Linear mixed-effects modeling demonstrated statistically significant improvements in resilience (β = 4.82, p < 0.001) and decreases in perceived loneliness (β = -5.14, p < 0.001) and trauma symptom severity (β = -3.76, p = 0.002) in the intervention group compared to controls. Qualitative focus groups underscored that agency restoration, cultural re-signification, and peer validation acted as primary mechanistic pathways. Findings suggest that community-driven arts interventions constitute an effective, non-stigmatizing psychosocial public health strategy for displaced youth navigating resettlement.
