Assessing and promoting newcomer children's psychosocial, linguistic, and cultural developmental outcome: A two-phased mixed method interdisciplinary study

Within western multi-ethnic societies, newcomer children’s development is a pressing public health issue as newcomer children face a myriad of developmental tasks impacted by migration, in three core domains of (i) mental health, (ii) linguistic competence, and (iii) social and cultural integration. Within an extensive body of studies documenting the at-risk mental health functioning of immigrant children (e.g., Dimitrova et al., 2016; Hodes & Vostanis, 2019), studies increasingly show the detrimental mental health consequences of difficulties in newcomer children’s social and cultural integration (e.g., Spaas et al., in press; Walker & Zuberi, 2020). Further, in light of the achievement gap in newcomers’ educational trajectories (e.g., European Commission, 2013; Van Avermaet et al., 2017), an extensive body of scholarly work documents the complexities of newcomers’ second language acquisition. Here, while studies indicate how newcomers’ social integration mediates linguistic competence (i.e., Evans et al., 2020), studies on the impact of mental health profiles (incl. traumatic distress) on language acquisition remain scarce. In sum, as a seminal but growing body of studies points to interactions between newcomer children’s mental health, linguistic competence, and social and cultural integration, developing a comprehensive understanding of interrelations within this triad seems highly relevant. In a two-phased, participatory approach (including ethnic minority members trained as co-researchers, cf.de Smet et al., , 2021; Ellis et al., 2007), this study formulates a two-fold research objective: (i) to explore prototypical associations between newcomer children’s mental health, linguistic competence, and social and cultural integration, and (ii) to evaluate the role of school-based intervention in supporting children’s development within this triad. In a first study phase, a large-scale mixed-method cross-sectional study in Flemish reception classes at primary and secondary school level aims at generating an understanding of newcomer children’s psychosocial, linguistic, and cultural development through a profiling of prototypical associations between newcomer children’s mental health, their linguistic development (both native language and second language proficiency) and patterns of social and cultural integration (to both native and host society culture), including an in-depth contextualization in family functioning, migration background, and host society socio-economic position (Nadeau et al., 2018).  This cross-sectional study informs a second, interventive study phase, aiming at a two-site implementation of school-based collaborative care for newcomer children and their families (in two medium-sized Flemish cities, i.e., Leuven & Mechelen). As an innovative mental health care model targeting ethnic minority communities through the inclusion of specialized expertise in low-threshold community settings (Ellis et al., 2013; Papazian-Gohrabian et al., 2020), school-based collaborative care targets newcomer children who display mental health problems or delays in language acquisition. School-based interdisciplinary, multi-ethnic networks provide both developmental anamnesis and intervention on the levels of individual, family, and classroom, including case-based training of school actors (Spaas et al., accepted). In a multiple mixed-method single case research (i.e., multiple MMSCR; cf. Onghena et al., 2019), baseline measurements, time series, systematic intervention, and quantitative data-analysis are integrated in a larger qualitative multiple case study using in-depth interviews and focus groups with stakeholders (i.e., newcomer parents, school actors). With a growing call on the need for low-threshold mental health care that integratively targets mental health and social integration (Measham et al., 2014), this intervention study aims to further the evidence-base on school-based interdisciplinary intervention and support the design of sustainable, long-term inclusion of collaborative approaches in education for newcomer children.