Author:
Nico Piñeiro, Marta Civill Cortada & Ana Campaña Martínez.
Keywords:
Unaccompanied minors, benzodiazepines, homelessness, childhood.
Icaro’s main objective is to generate knowledge about the substance use processes of unaccompanied migrant adolescents, both during their guardianship period and after they reach adulthood and leave youth centres. The ultimate goal of this knowledge is to develop a strategic tool for preventing drug use.
The primary need underpinning the implementation of the ÍCARO programme is the extreme vulnerability faced by thousands of unaccompanied foreign minors whose guardianship has ended, leaving many of them in street situations. Frequently criminalised by the media, this group of young people is exposed to significant risk factors, including drug addiction. These individuals have often lived under the care of the public administration in temporary accommodation facilities, where many had their first exposure to benzodiazepines (Rivotril) and pregabalin (Lyrica). These substances, despite being highly addictive and poorly regulated, are frequently prescribed as a medicalised response to the anxiety experienced by young people following perilous migratory journeys.
The aim of this study is to generate insight into the consequences of the early medicalisation of these young people. To achieve this, we will analyse a sample of 27 unaccompanied young migrants and 25 professionals using qualitative analysis techniques. The research will culminate in a comprehensive report and the development of an indicator system to measure programmes and good practices tailored to this hidden drug-dependent population.
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