Abstract
Nearly one-quarter of the refugees worldwide are children. There have been numerous studies reporting their levels of psychological
distress. The aim of this paper is to review systematically and synthesize the epidemiological research concerning the mental
health of refugee children residing in Western countries. A Cochrane Collaboration style review was conducted searching nine
major databases, bibliographies, and grey literature from 2003 to 2008. Included studies had to meet the reporting standards
of STROBE and investigate mental health in non-clinical samples of asylum seeking and refugee children residing in OECD countries.
A total of twenty-two studies were identified of 4,807 retrieved citations, covering 3,003 children from over 40 countries.
Studies varied in definition and measurement of problems, which included levels of post-traumatic stress disorder from 19
to 54%, depression from 3 to 30%, and varying degrees of emotional and behavioral problems. Significant factors influencing
levels of distress appear to include demographic variables, cumulative traumatic pre-migration experiences, and post-migration
stressors. Importantly, the research base demands greater contextual and methodological refining such that future research
would have greater generalizability and clinical implications.
distress. The aim of this paper is to review systematically and synthesize the epidemiological research concerning the mental
health of refugee children residing in Western countries. A Cochrane Collaboration style review was conducted searching nine
major databases, bibliographies, and grey literature from 2003 to 2008. Included studies had to meet the reporting standards
of STROBE and investigate mental health in non-clinical samples of asylum seeking and refugee children residing in OECD countries.
A total of twenty-two studies were identified of 4,807 retrieved citations, covering 3,003 children from over 40 countries.
Studies varied in definition and measurement of problems, which included levels of post-traumatic stress disorder from 19
to 54%, depression from 3 to 30%, and varying degrees of emotional and behavioral problems. Significant factors influencing
levels of distress appear to include demographic variables, cumulative traumatic pre-migration experiences, and post-migration
stressors. Importantly, the research base demands greater contextual and methodological refining such that future research
would have greater generalizability and clinical implications.
- Content Type Journal Article
- DOI 10.1007/s10567-010-0081-0
- Authors
- Israel Bronstein, Centre for Evidence Based Intervention, Department of Social Policy & Social Work, University of Oxford, Barnett House, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER UK
- Paul Montgomery, Centre for Evidence Based Intervention, Department of Social Policy & Social Work, University of Oxford, Barnett House, 32 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2ER UK
- Journal Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review
- Online ISSN 1573-2827
- Print ISSN 1096-4037