Mental Health Issues and Refugee Youth and Children

Mental health issues have broad impact on individuals, families, and refugee communities, as well as the community at large.  Some mental health issues for refugees are the same as for the community in general, such as alcoholism, drug addiction and depression, but many of them are unique.  Resettlement in a new and totally foreign land, extreme malnutrition, violence and war, are only some of the experiences that present unique situations for refugee children and youth.  Cultural differences provide another challenge in providing mental health care. 

The BRYCS project is acquiring and centralizing resources on mental health issues for refugee children, youth, and families. The resources are often accompanied by descriptions from BRYCS, and include, when available, the full text available on the BRYCS website, www.brycs.org.  A sample of the resources in BRYCS are highlighted below.

In Impact of Resettlement on Refugee Children, the authors point out the need for more data on refugee children’s transition crises and the need for institutional supports to provide health and educational services. The article examines studies that focused on how exposure to extended violence, prolonged threat or terrorization, and transition stress affect refugee children. The parent-child, and especially the mother-child, relationship suffers from ‘uprooting stress.”  While priority in the past was given to children’s language needs, medical and psychological needs should also take priority and the unit for service to children should be the family.

The emotional and behavioral problems of unaccompanied refugee minors is the focus of Behavior Problems and Traumatic Events of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors.  Many of these children and youth were exposed to tremendous violence before they fled their home countries or during their flight. A lack of trained professionals and delays in procedures for asylum seekers can exacerbate the minors’ emotional symptoms. Therefore, services for these children need to be child-centered and culturally sophisticated and address such needs as security, play, work, education, training, interaction with peers and adults, community boundaries, and religion.

The character and scope of problems facing refugee families and those interventions addressing particular psychological needs is the focus of Psychological Well-Being of Refugee Children, which offers an emphasis on the mental health of the children. Psychosocial assistance programs that assist displaced children in normal development would include such features as: a culturally sensitive, interdisciplinary approach; emphasis on primary prevention; consideration of the family unit; particular attention to the needs of children and adolescent; and broad-based interventions addressing heterogeneous populations.

The Directory of Services and Resources for Survivors of Torture, published in 2003 by the Center for Mental Health Services, identifies many organizations across the United States and throughout the world that provide services and information to torture survivors.  The directory also provides guidance to refugee organizations and leaders, volunteer agencies, employers, Government agencies, and health and mental health providers on how to make make referrals for these survivors.

BRYCS will continue to update the mental health resources as new materials are acquired, reviewed, and included. Please join us in making this possible by suggesting relevant resources. Click on the “Suggest a Resource” link on the BRYCS homepage, or call toll-free 1-888-572-6500—press #3 after the prompt. Or send an e-mail to Outreach & Information Coordinator Charles Evans at clearinghouse@brycs.org.

Last month's featured search on the Somali Bantu is available in the ARCHIVE, along with other past featured searches and monthly spotlights and featured programs.