Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are considered at high risk for mental health problems, yet few studies focus on single ethnic populations. This study presents results from the largest Afghan UASC mental health survey in the U.K. Specifically, the study aims to estimate the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems and to investigate the associations of these problems with demographic variables, cumulative traumatic events, and care and migration variables. A census sample of 222 Afghan UASC was interviewed using validated self-report screening measures. Emotional and behavioural problems were screened using the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist 37A (HSCL-37A). Pre-migration stressful life events were screened using the Stressful Life Events Questionnaire. Administrative data on care and asylum were provided by the local authority social services and the UK Border Agency. Approximately one-third (31.4%) scored above cut-offs for emotional and behavioural problems, 34.6% for anxiety and 23.4% for depression. Ordinary least squares regression indicated a significant dose-response relationship between total pre-migration traumatic events and distress as well as between increased time in the country and greater behavioural problems. Compound traumatic events in the pre-migration stages of forced migration have a deleterious association with UASC well-being. Increased time in country suggests a possible peer effect for these children. Consistent with other studies on refugee children, it should be stressed that the majority of UASC scored below suggested cut-offs, thus displaying a marked resilience despite the experience of adverse events.
Record numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors have been arriving in high-income countries since 2015. Child welfare agencies and non-governmental organisations tasked with providing services have struggled to cope with demands on their services as a result. Despite this, there is little research on how best to meet their needs and in particular what services can mitigate the psychological difficulties they face. As a result, the evidence base for social services for refugee children remains very limited. This paper is a systematic review and meta-analysis of the evidence on the relationship between care placement type and the educational, mental health and physical health outcomes of unaccompanied refugee minors. We searched ten databases and identified 3877 citations which were screened for inclusion. Nine studies were included in the final review, with seven included in the meta-analysis. Eight studies examined the link between accommodation type and mental health outcomes, and two analysed the relationship between accommodation type and education. There were no studies looking at physical health outcomes. Included studies suggest that foster care and placements that are culturally sensitive may be associated with better mental health outcomes. This review highlights the paucity of research on the impact of services provided by child welfare agencies and non-governmental organisations.
Synopsis/AbstractOBJECTIVES This systematic review sought to identify and evaluate all available high-quality evidence as to whether interventions affect the economic self-sufficiency and well-being of resettled refugees. METHODSWe searched 18 electronic databases, examined relevant websites, and contacted researchers in an attempt to identify any relevant published or unpublished reports. No language restrictions were applied, and the search was completed in Sept 2013. Inclusion criteria were: (a) prospective, controlled methodology; (b) participants who were resettled refugees aged 18-64 at the time of the intervention; (c) intervention designed to increase the economic self-sufficiency and well-being of resettled refugees; and, (d) included at least one of the following outcomes: labour force participation rate; employment rate; use of cash assistance; income; job retention; or quality of life. RESULTSA total of 9,260 records were inspected, and 26 records summarising 23 unique studies were screened. No studies met the review's inclusion criteria. CONCLUSIONSThe available evidence was insufficient to determine if programmes affect the economic selfsufficiency and well-being of resettled refugees as no studies met the review's inclusion criteria. More research with rigorous designs, such as prospective, controlled studies, is needed to determine which interventions affect the economic self-sufficiency and well-being of resettled refugees. 7The Campbell Collaboration | www.campbellcollaboration.org Executive Summary BACKGROUND Globally, 51.2 million individuals are forcibly displaced and approximately 11.7 million of these have crossed the border of their country of origin and are classified as refugees of concern by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR, 2014). A minority of these refugees are moved through resettlement programmes to a third country. In 2012, 26 different countries offered refugee resettlement, with the goals of improving economic self-sufficiency and well-being for those resettled refugees. There are a myriad of programmes that may act to improve the economic self-sufficiency and well-being of refugees, including employment training, education, and interventions delivered by mental health services. OBJECTIVESThis systematic review sought to identify and evaluate all available evidence as to whether interventions designed to improve the economic self-sufficiency and well-being of resettled refugees affect participants' labour force participation rate, employment rate, use of cash assistance, income, job retention, and quality of life. SEARCH STRATEGYWe searched 18 databases and the websites of relevant research, policy, and governmental organisations. We also contacted researchers in attempt to identify any relevant published or unpublished reports. Key search terms were (
Schools play a key role in the lives of young refugees and asylum seekers, yet it is unclear to what extent educators are prepared to effectively teach this population. In this study, we examined how educators acquire knowledge relevant to teaching refugee pupils through a survey (n = 295) and nestled case studies of 17 teachers at two schools in England. Educators reported learning mainly through experience-both personal and professional-and they emphasised informal, ad hoc support from colleagues over formal training courses. English as an Additional Language leaders at the two case study schools were particularly relied upon to pass on relevant knowledge they had acquired across their careers. These findings have implications for school staffing and professional development in English schools, as well as contributing to broader discussions about the decentralisation of some education systems and the efficacy of different types of professional development for educators.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.