Abstract
The number of refugee youth worldwide receives international attention and is a top priority in both academic and political agendas. This article adopts a critical eye in summarizing current epidemiological knowledge of refugee youth mental health as well as interventions aimed to prevent or reduce mental health problems among children and adolescents in both high- and low-to-middle-income countries. We highlight current challenges and limitations of extant literature and present potential opportunities and recommendations in refugee child psychiatric epidemiology and mental health services research for moving forward. In light of the mounting xenophobic sentiments we are presently witnessing across societies, we argue that, as a first step, all epidemiological and intervention research should advocate for social justice to guarantee the safety of and respect for the basic human rights of all refugee populations during their journey and resettlement. A constructive dialogue between scholars and policy makers is warranted.
Highlights
The global refugee population has steadily increased in size over the past several years and, receives considerable attention from international media and policy makers
We first present a framework for understanding risk and protective factors for refugee youth mental health, what is known about the prevalence of mental health problems of refugee youth in both high (HICs) and low- to middle-income countries (LMICs), as well as information on the trajectories of youth mental health over time
We have provided an overview on the epidemiology of the mental health of refugee children and youth, a wide range of promising intervention research with this population in various settings, and shortcomings in existing research and opportunities for moving forward
Summary
The global refugee population has steadily increased in size over the past several years and, receives considerable attention from international media and policy makers. Limitations on studies of residential placement include the use of convenience samples, observational, cross-sectional study designs rather than randomized trials, lack of participant demographic data and relevant life experiences, and reliance on youth self-report of psychosocial well-being and functioning Despite these limitations, the findings challenge HIC governmental policies that favor foster care placement for higher-functioning and younger children and independent or shared housing for older adolescents and those with more mental health challenges. Because family composition and dynamics are defined within a specific culture(s) and evolve with pre- and postmigratory experiences, these interventions should be developed in close partnership with refugee communities This concern applies to unaccompanied minors placed in foster care: It is important to offer support and interventions for this population by involving their caregivers, given that the unaccompanied minors’ new experiences and relationships with the foster family can make a significant impact on their mental health. Identifying pathways to success can inform the critical ingredients of mental health interventions
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