Mental health in refugee children

Dangmann, C; Solberg, Øivind; Dybdahl, Ragnhild

doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101460

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…While existing literature (Betancourt & Khan, 2008;Dangmann, 2022;Fazel & Betancourt, 2018) offers valuable insights into coping mechanisms among refugee children, research specifically focused on the Rohingya children is limited. One significant coping mechanism observed among the Rohingya children in the refugee camps in Cox's Bazar is their resilience and resourcefulness in forming social networks and support systems.…”

Section: Coping Mechanisms To Deal With Wellbeing Issues and Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Well-being of the Rohingya Children in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh: Strategies, Coping Mechanism and Challenges of the Support Systems

Shohel,

Ashrafuzzaman,

Chowdhury

et al. 2024

Int. J. PWB

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The Rohingyas are an ethnic minority community of Myanmar. Despite their long history in Rakhine State, Myanmar, they were made stateless by the government of Myanmar in 1982 enacting the Burma Citizenship Act of 1982 . They have endured communal violence, resulting in death, forced displacement and migration, experiencing ongoing traumatic events, particularlyamong women and children. They have become victims of torture and persecution, with females enduring rape and many witnessing their loved ones brutally killed before their eyes. These life events have a profound impact on their physical and mentalwell-being, even now while they are living as refugees in camps in neighbouring Bangladesh. Due to numerous associated issues, recent history has witnessed a complex emergency involving internal and external displacements of individuals from this ethnic minority group, rendering them refugees in various countries, including Bangladesh. This study is focusing on the Rohingya children's physical and mental well-being, who are almost 52% of the total Rohingya refugee population living in the camps in Bangladesh. This study, drawing on secondary data, presents evidence of the well-being of the Rohingya children in Bangladeshi refugee camps and investigates the challenges they face and their coping mechanisms in these situations. This article sheds light on current conditions and outlines future directions for support and research.

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Section: Coping Mechanisms To Deal With Wellbeing Issues and Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Well-being of the Rohingya Children in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh: Strategies, Coping Mechanism and Challenges of the Support Systems

Shohel,

Ashrafuzzaman,

Chowdhury

et al. 2024

Int. J. PWB

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“…War brings about various adversities, such as witnessing violence, experiencing displacement, losing loved ones, and dealing with uncertainty at many levels, challenges known and discussed by mental health professionals involved in the war in Ukraine (Frankova et al, 2023). Such adversities can overwhelm adolescents who experience war, and make it di cult for them to process emotions, and develop healthily (Dangmann, 2022). Anxiety, depression, traumatic memories, PTSD, suicides, mistrust in people, and lack of hope for the future are associated with war experiencing war ( Prevention programs targeting adolescents is recommended to reduce the burden of mental health disorders (WHO, 2014; UNICEF 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Helping Hand in Ukraine: Feasibility and Potential Impact

Raknes,

Chorna

2024

Preprint

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Background New services are needed to prevent mental health consequences of the war in Ukraine. Ten adolescents self-recruited to use and evaluate the Ukrainian version of the Helping Hand (HH) in Odessa, Ukraine. From April to June 2023 they participated in a 10-sessions group program where they played the cognitive behavioral game app, shared stories, and engaged in activities to enhance their coping skills. Methods A mixed method, quantitative-qualitative design was used to get insight in the potential impact and feasibility of the HH for Ukrainian adolescents´ mental health and well- being during war. Feasability of the intervention was assessed by a questionnaire to the adolescents, anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed before and after the intervention by a standardized and validated adolescent-completed questionnaire. An interview with the psychologist who implemented the intervention was used to interpret the data completed by the adolescents. Results Eight of ten adolescents completed the HH intervention, and the psychologist found the HH useful and culturally appropriate. The adolescents reported that the intervention made it easier to talk about feelings and thoughts, facilitated help-seeking, and improved coping with challenges. The average anxiety and depression symptoms decreased from before the intervention (M = 20.4) to after (M = 15.0), showing a moderate effect size. Conclusion The results indicated that the HH has a high potential in preventing mental health consequences in Ukraine.

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“…So far, there are no reliable data on the consequences of the current war in Ukraine on the well-being of the affected children and adolescents. However, there is ample evidence on refugee minors from other conflict regions pointing to the detrimental effects of war trauma on mental health ( Kadir et al, 2018 ; Müller et al, 2019 ; Dangmann et al, 2022 ) and on broader developmental outcomes that compromise social relations, school performance, and general life satisfaction ( Catani, 2018 ). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression are among the most common psychological disorders in child and adolescent refugees and asylum seekers with an average prevalence rate around 22% for PTSD and 14% for depression according to a recent meta-analysis ( Blackmore et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

School-based mental health screenings with Ukrainian adolescent refugees in Germany: Results from a pilot study

et al. 2023

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Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, high numbers of Ukrainians, mostly women and children, have left the country. As of today, Germany has accepted more than one million refugees fleeing from Ukraine including ~200,000 children and adolescents registered in German schools. Since refugee minors are typically affected by high rates of mental health issues, the identification of potential psychological problems at an early stage after arrival is essential in order to make timely referrals for vulnerable youth to diagnostic or treatment services possible. The aim of the present study was to test the feasibility of a classroom-based mental health screening procedure and to assess symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety in a small sample of adolescents who had fled to Germany. Forty-two adolescents (n = 20 girls) took part in the study. Screening results showed that more than half of the sample had elevated ratings in the Refugee Health Screener (RHS) and about 45% reported clinically significant levels of PTSD. Overall, the amount of both mental health problems and current worries related to the war was significantly higher in girls compared to boys. In general, screenings were well received by the adolescents. The findings of this pilot study point to a considerable level of mental health problems and distress in adolescent refugees affected by the recent war in Ukraine. Brief psychological screenings within the school setting might represent a promising approach to identifying potential mental health disorders as early as possible in newly arriving refugee youth.

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Mental health in refugee children

Cited by 18 publications

References 58 publications

Well-being of the Rohingya Children in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh: Strategies, Coping Mechanism and Challenges of the Support Systems

Well-being of the Rohingya Children in Refugee Camps in Bangladesh: Strategies, Coping Mechanism and Challenges of the Support Systems

The Helping Hand in Ukraine: Feasibility and Potential Impact

School-based mental health screenings with Ukrainian adolescent refugees in Germany: Results from a pilot study

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