“At night he cries from dreams”: Perceptions of children's psychological distress and wellbeing amongst parents with refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds in Australia

Abstract

Objective The objective of the current study was to gain insight into the ways in which parents who had arrived in Australia with refugee or asylum seeker backgrounds understand their young children's experiences of wellbeing and psychological distress during resettlement. Method Eight parents (three male and five female) who had arrived in Australia from Iran and Afghanistan with children aged between five and eight were recruited using purposive sampling. In‐depth interviews were conducted regarding their perceptions of their children's experiences of wellbeing and psychological distress. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Results Four primary themes were developed: (a) Practical needs are a key priority, (b) the refugee experience impacts family structure and dynamics, which has a negative effect on children's wellbeing, (c) wellbeing as engagement in physical activity and education, and (d) bad dreams and difficulty sleeping are indicators of psychological distress. Conclusions For parents recently arrived in Australia as refugees or asylum seekers, practical concerns impact perceptions of children's wellbeing or psychological distress, particularly for those on temporary visas. While this may lead parents to overlook symptoms of psychological distress in their children, protective factors conducive to wellbeing, including safety, housing, and education, are prioritised. Future research should explore when and why parents are likely to seek assistance for their children in the context of resettlement, as well as the impacts of visa types on children's experiences of positive wellbeing and psychological distress.

Practitioner competencies for working with refugee children and young people: A scoping review

“…Previous research has found that refugee children's wellbeing is negatively affected by the disruption of family structures (Due et al, 2019), and thus involvement with family should be considered carefully by practitioners. While the broader literature indicates that parent participation contributes to positive therapeutic outcomes for young people (Karver et al, 2006), this may not always be the case for this particular population.…”

“…In general, these methodological issues, and the overall lack of literature in the area, are likely caused by the barriers to research with refugees which include challenges with recruitment and follow up, the heterogeneity of refugee groups, ethical issues such as difficulties with having control groups, the need for interpreters, and limited culturally appropriate and validated assessment tools (Due et al, 2014;Ehntholt & Yule, 2006;Fazel & Betancourt, 2017). Nevertheless, given the critical importance of having an evidence base for competencies for refugee and asylum seeker children and young people, future research could usefully examine what are considered important competencies for practitioners working in this area, from both the practitioner perspective, as well as the perspective of the child or young person.…”

Scene Matching Method for Children’s Psychological Distress Based on Deep Learning Algorithm

“…Of course, the setting of the care link in the plot scene is to allow more people to care to reduce the loneliness, boredom, and helplessness of the treated person. rough the completion of a task, a partnership has been established and their care and blessings are extremely important for the recovery of the disease [12]. Developmental obstacles generally include insufficient memory, defects in perception, unusual thinking skills and language flaws, and flaws in the ability to judge numbers.…”

Integration Experiences of Former Afghan Refugees in Australia: What Challenges Still Remain after Becoming Citizens?

“…These challenges have even led to poorer health condition among Afghan refugees compared with the general Australian population [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. These issues are real, and this study documents the views of many people from Afghanistan who have gone through the long process, from being refugees to today being Australian citizens, who have been living in Perth for many years.…”