Yeung, Kiu Ho (Carol);
(2025)
Navigating Identity and Well-being: Perspectives of
HK BN(O) Immigrant Youths in the UK.
Doctoral thesis (D.Ed.Psy), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
The launch of the British National (Overseas) [BN(O)] Visa Programme in 2021 led to a new wave of migration from Hong Kong to the UK, including children and young people navigating unfamiliar sociocultural and educational environments. Identity development is a key task in adolescence, yet immigrant youths often face added challenges in making sense of their identities across two cultural worlds. While identity can serve as a protective factor for well-being (e.g., Smith & Silvia, 2011; Yoon et al., 2013), most existing research focuses narrowly on cultural identity (e.g., Baumert et al., 2024; Brown et al., 2013; Cadiz et al., 2023), often using quantitative methods that overlook identity’s subjective, multifaceted, and evolving nature. To date, there is a limited number of research that focuses on the perspective of HK BN(O) immigrant youths. This study is one of the first to explore the identities of HK BN(O) immigrant youths aged 10–15 in the UK. This study aimed to understand youths’ identities; how they may have changed post-migration, their relationship to well-being, and how schools and families can support identity development. The study was grounded in symbolic interactionism (Mead, 1934), social identity theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), and psychosocial development theory (Erikson, 1968). Applying a mixed-methods design, data were collected from 25 youths across the UK through questionnaires and 8 individual interviews supported by narrative tools. Quantitative analysis of the questionnaires identified positive links between some identities (including both cultural and non-cultural identities) and well-being. Qualitative analysis of the interviews resulted in five themes: “navigation of cultural identities,” “adapting to life in the UK,” “roles of relational and personal identities,” “understanding identity and its impact on well-being,” and “development of identity and support systems.” These findings illustrate how identities are understood and renegotiated in daily life and through migration. Together, the findings highlight identity as a multidimensional, dynamic construct that plays a central role in shaping the well-being of immigrant youths in transition. By amplifying youth voice, the study offers implications for educational psychologists, schools, and policy, promoting identity-sensitive practices that support immigrant youth well-being in a multicultural society.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | D.Ed.Psy |
| Title: | Navigating Identity and Well-being: Perspectives of HK BN(O) Immigrant Youths in the UK |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2025. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Psychology and Human Development |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10211522 |
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