“We must make sacrifices” - coping among left-behind adolescents in Georgia after parental migration

Abstract Background Adolescence is challenging, particularly for those left-behind in their countries of origin while parents out-migrate for work. The Eastern European country Georgia has one of the highest percentages of left-behind children and adolescents worldwide, yet how they cope with migratory separation remains unknown. This study is the first to explore strategies of Georgian left-behind adolescents to cope with parental absence. Methods From December 2021 to January 2022, we conducted 29 narrative interviews with left-behind adolescents aged 12-18 in Georgia. We purposively sampled participants from a relatively large public school in the Samegrelo region, the second-largest region of Georgia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using NVivo 12. Resilience theory underpins this study, and reflexive thematic analysis is applied to identify main themes and sub-themes. Results Under the overarching theme of coping and resilience, we identified the following four main themes: (1) the time dimension (2) family connectedness (3) positive attitudes and self-care (4) social interactions beyond the family. Our findings revealed that adolescents whose parent(s) migrated when they were toddlers coped well, while children aged 6-10 felt heavily affected and vulnerable. Closeness with the migrant parent, siblings, caregivers, and other family members was crucial for children’s coping. Self-care, self-encouragement, and positive attitudes helped them overcome negative emotions related to parental absence. Awareness of parents’ motivation to migrate and appreciation of material benefits positively contributed to adolescents’ coping and resilience. In addition, those with many friends coped better and were more resilient than socially less active peers. Conclusions Self-motivation, positive attitude, supportive family, and social interactions help left-behind adolescents to cope with negative emotions related to parental absence. Key messages • left-behind children especially at the age of 6-10 need support to cope with migratory separation. • Interventions are needed to strengthen family ties and support children in intensifying social interactions beyond family.