Free AccessHealth and Well-Being of Refugee Children and AdolescentsArnold Lohaus, Heike Eschenbeck, and Claus VögeleArnold Lohaus Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology, Bielefeld University, Germany Search for more papers by this author, Heike Eschenbeck Department of Educational Psychology and Health Psychology, University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany Search for more papers by this author, and Claus Vögele Institute for Health and Behaviour, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:January 28, 2022https://doi.org/10.1027/2512-8442/a000095PDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInReddit SectionsMoreAccording to the UN Refugee Agency data, at the end of 2020, 82.4 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide due to persecution, conflict, violence, human rights violations, or events seriously disturbing public order (UNHCR, 2021). Many of them are refugees (26.4 million), and about half were under the age of 18. At the end of 2019, approximately 10% of all refugees lived in the EU, which amounts to 0.6% of the EU population (European Commission, 2021). In total, there were 2.6 million refugees in Europe until the end of 2019.As refugees are frequently exposed to traumatic experiences before, during, or after fleeing, they represent a particularly vulnerable group. Such traumatic experiences include war or persecution, other life-threatening events, or family separation. In addition, refugees rarely have full access to the healthcare system in their host country, thereby substantially increasing an already elevated risk for several adverse health and social outcomes (Helgesson et al., 2021). Not only individual events experienced as intensely stressful can be triggers for mental health problems, but also poly-victimization experiences leading to cumulative effects (Finkelhor et al., 2011). Increased prevalence rates of mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety) and stress-related somatic complaints (e.g., pain) are, therefore, common in refugees. In particular, high rates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been observed in refugees, with an approximately 10-fold higher risk for PTSD among refugees compared to age-matched native populations (Fazel et al., 2005; Mölsä et al., 2014). Adverse outcomes are even more likely if there is a lack of social resources, particularly the case for young unaccompanied refugees (Jensen et al., 2014).In general, the mental and physical health of refugees is an important issue for health psychology research. Such research can expand our knowledge on the epidemiology of health-related problems and to better understand causes and effects and their underlying mechanisms. Such results will aid the implementation of appropriate structures and programs to provide appropriate health care for refugees. This special issue makes a significant contribution towards this goal. The papers therein focus on children and adolescents as they are particularly vulnerable to the effects of victimization experiences and, at the same time, are – due to their young age – quite inexperienced in dealing with critical life events. Moreover, they are confronted with the difficulty of coping with their normative developmental tasks in a new and unfamiliar cultural environment.This special issue was originally conceived of as reporting on the results of a large-scale project investigating the development of refugee children and adolescents in Germany (with studies from Bielefeld and Schwäbisch Gmünd). We decided to widen the scope to include also other studies reporting on results from other projects. Two papers report on the project from Bielefeld and Schwäbisch Gmünd: Schmees et al. (2022) focus on the well-being and resources of minors with a refugee background and compare these children and adolescents with minors with a migration or native background. The main topic of Nilles et al. (2022) concerns the coping of young refugees in Germany, with a specific focus on gender differences and gender role attitudes.A contribution from a study conducted at the University of Bremen reports results on the role of religiosity as a factor affecting resilience after experiencing potentially traumatic events. In this study, El-Awad et al. (2022) compare Middle Eastern male refugee youths with their immigrant peers in Germany. Chwastek and colleagues (2022; University of Bochum) focus on the socio-emotional problems and learning skills of Roma and refugee children in German elementary schools.To complement the German perspectives in this special issue, two additional manuscripts provide a broader European perspective. The paper from colleagues at the University of Stavanger (Keles & Oppedal, 2022) provides insight into the role of social support for unaccompanied refugees with a specific focus on the significance of collectivistic values and related self-construals for this group of refugees. Verelst et al. (2022; Ghent University) report on results of an international study including data from Finland, Sweden, and the UK on social determinants of mental health in young migrants, comparing the association between social support and mental health in newcomer migrants (including refugees), non-newcomer migrants and non-migrants.We are pleased that this special issue covers a range of important issues regarding the health of young refugees. We hope that it will contribute to improving the health and well-being of refugees in their host countries.Arnold Lohaus received his Diploma in Psychology in 1980 and his PhD in 1982 at the University of Muenster, Germany. He is currently a Senior Professor of Developmental Psychology and Developmental Psychopathology at the University of Bielefeld, Germany. His research interests are related to cognitive and social development in infancy and health-related topics in childhood and adolescence.Heike Eschenbeck (PhD, Psychological Psychotherapist) is a professor at the Department of Educational Psychology and Health Psychology at the University of Education Schwäbisch Gmünd. Her research topics focus on well-being, stress, coping, and health behavior in children and adolescents. Her interests include assessment and psychometric testing, longitudinal studies on developmental trajectories, and school-based health promotion.Claus Vögele is Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology and Head of the Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Luxembourg. He is clinically qualified as a psychotherapist and health psychologist, accredited by the Health and Care Professions Council (UK), and licensed by the Ministry of Health (Luxembourg). His research focuses on eating disorders, interoception, psychological and epigenetic effects of early-life adversity, and social isolation and mental health.References Chwastek, S., Leyendecker, B., & Busch, J. (2022). Socio-emotional problems and learning skills of Roma and recently arrived refugee children in German elementary schools. European Journal of Health Psychology, 29(1), 38–49. https://doi.org/10.1027/2512-8442/a000096 First citation in articleAbstract, Google Scholar El-Awad, U., Fathi, A., Lohaus, A., Petermann, F., & Reinelt, T. (2022). Different relations of religion and mental health: Comparing Middle Eastern Muslim refugee and immigrant adolescents. 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