The aim of this study is to create understanding for how employees perceive their skills at HVB in relation to their work with unaccompanied minors.The study is based on a qualitative method and were carried out with nine semi-structured interviews with staff from three different HVB. With the help of Bourdieu’s theoretical frame field, capital, and habitus we analyzed our materials.The study shows us among others that there is a lack of knowledge with the staff within the areas mental health and the pedagogic field. Furthermore, the result showed us that the staff experienced difficulties in how to refute the children’s needs. We find that the staff creates different strategies to cope with the children’s needs. Two prominent strategies emerged in our result. The staff contacted external help and took great support in the strength of the working group.

This is a qualitative study on mental health among unaccompanied children in Swedish residential care. The purpose of the study is to increase the understanding of the work and interaction with these children for anyone that in one way or another encounters unaccompanied children in their profession. To achieve this, we examined the experiences of staff members in residential care regarding mental health among unaccompanied children, by conducting semi-structured interviews of staff members. This study includes descriptions of how the interviewees experience mental illness and what challenges and difficulties they encounter in their work. Furthermore, the study also includes factors the interviewees believe are important in promoting mental health. The results show that mental illness amongst unaccompanied children in residential care is a recurring issue. The interviewees describe that mental illness can be expressed in anxiety, aggression, depression, insomnia, self-harm, isolation and psychosomatic symptoms. Socio-cultural differences is stated in the results as a challenge in ways that the children and the staff members have different norms and values. Moreover it is also described that the children’s view on what mental illness is, how they talk about it and how they handle it, is different from what the staff are used to and can lead to misunderstandings. Furthermore the results also show that interviewees believe the main cause behind the children’s poor well-being is the challenges they meet and the pressure they feel when they arrive to a new country. Challenges and pressure such as learning a new language and integrating in a new society. The interviewees describe it as being important to support and be available for the children, and for the children to find and be part of meaningful connections. Keywords: unaccompanied children/youth/minors, mental illness, mental health, residental care homes, refugees