Supporting Transition Resilience Among Newcomer Groups (STRONG)
Examining effectiveness and acceptability in urban public schools
Bibliographic Data
The Supporting Transition Resilience Of Newcomer Groups (STRONG; Hoover et al., 2019) program was developed to support mental health among newcomer refugee and immigrant students by (1) promoting positive adjustment during resettlement through a trauma‐informed, strengths‐based approach, contextualized to meet the needs of refugee and immigrant youth; and (2) improving access to services through school‐based programming. The purpose of this study was to examine the acceptability and effectiveness of STRONG on the mental health and resilience of refugee and immigrant students using a group randomized waitlist control design. A sample of 64 newcomer students ( M age = 13.9, SD = 3.11; 41% female) was recruited to participate in the STRONG program, representing 19 different countries of origin and diverse ethnicities (44% Latiné; 34% Asian; 13% Middle Eastern/North African; 8% African/Black). Additionally, teachers or administrators from each participating STRONG school completed interviews, while group facilitators (e.g., clinicians and bilingual teachers) were invited to participate in focus groups. This study provides preliminary evidence that STRONG supports newcomer mental health, with students in the immediate treatment group showing reductions in anxiety/depression and externalizing symptoms compared to the waitlist. Qualitative findings provide additional support for the acceptability and benefits of this intervention. However, coping efficacy unexpectedly decreased, and several interactions with school type (e.g., high school vs. elementary) emerged. Additional research is warranted to further evaluate this promising intervention for newcomer youth
Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Health psychology · Psychological resilience · Public health · Resilience (materials science) · Sociology · Transition (genetics) · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Psychology · Resilience and Mental Health · Social Psychology
Mental Health Service Use Among Immigrants in the United States
Responses to stress in adolescence
The Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale-Short Version
Utilization of Mental Health Services in Educational Setting by Adolescents in the United States
Emotion regulation across childhood and adolescence
Development of a new resilience scale
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Feasibility trial of the school‐based STRONG intervention to promote resilience among newcomer youth
Immigrant Trauma and Mental Health Outcomes Among Latino Youth
Healing ethno-racial trauma in Latinx immigrant communities
Immigration policy, practices, and procedures
The Role of School Connectedness and Social Support in the Acculturation in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Youth in Australia
The Multigroup Ethnic Identity Measure—Revised
Pre-migration Trauma and Post-migration Stressors for Asian and Latino American Immigrants
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |