Melinda Meyer - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Melinda Meyer
Research Square (Research Square), Mar 10, 2022
Large numbers of unaccompanied minors (UMs) have been migrating from low-income countries to Euro... more Large numbers of unaccompanied minors (UMs) have been migrating from low-income countries to European countries in recent years. Still, knowledge about risk behaviour and conduct problems in these populations is scarce. There is also a lack of knowledge about how mental health and behavioural problems in these populations change over time and whether this varies between host countries with different asylum procedures, care routines and reception facilities. Thus, our aim was to compare trajectories of mental health and behavioural problems in populations of UMs arriving in two European host countries with different practices for handling and care of UMs. We examined mental health and behavioural problems of UMs shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) using self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). The same procedure was repeated after 18 months in both Norway (n=127) and Belgium (n=76). There was a signi cant increase in externalizing behaviour among UMs in Belgium, but not among UMs in Norway. The changes were due to an increase in substance abuse more than other maladaptive externalizing behaviours. Internalizing symptoms and posttraumatic stress reactions stayed relatively unchanged for UMs in both countries. We postulate that different care and reception facilities for UMs may explain differences in substance abuse between the two countries. Apart from substance use, there were insigni cant changes in mental health and externalizing behaviours among UMs in the rst 18 months after arriving in their host countries.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, Nov 6, 2017
This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied mi... more This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied minor asylum seeking children. The aim of the study was to examine whether such an intervention may alleviate symptoms of trauma and enhance life satisfaction and hope. One hundred forty five unaccompanied minor refugee boys with their stated age between 15 and 18 were allocated into a 10 session 5 weeks manualized expressive arts intervention (EXIT) or a life as usual (LAU) control group. The participants were assessed at onset and 4 times over a period of 25 months with a battery of instruments measuring post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), general psychological distress (HSCL-25A), current life satisfaction (CLS) and expected life satisfaction (ELS). The instruments were presented in the participants' native languages, using touch-screen laptops and the computer program Multilingual Computer Assisted Interview (MultiCASI). There were significant time by group interactions in favor of the EXIT group for PTSS and CLS. At the end of the follow up the EXIT group had higher life satisfaction and hope for the future than the LAU group. A manualized EXIT group intervention can have a beneficial effect on helping minor refugee boys to cope with symptoms of trauma, strengthen their life satisfaction and develop hope for the future. Our findings support previous studies showing that the arts may help people in reconstructing meaning and connection with others by focusing on resources and creativity.
Abstract This article is about Expressive Arts (EXA) as a group intervention with survivors of wa... more Abstract This article is about Expressive Arts (EXA) as a group intervention with survivors of war and human-induced trauma living in exile. The therapeutic factors in EXA groups are presented. Expressive Arts in Transition (EXIT), an early intervention manual carried out with 71 unaccompanied refugee boys is discussed.
BMJ Open, Jun 1, 2017
Objectives To examine the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors prospectively during the ... more Objectives To examine the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors prospectively during the asylum-seeking process, with a focus on specific stages in the asylum process, such as age assessment, placement in a supportive or non-supportive facility and final decision on the asylum applications. Design This was a2½ year follow-up study of unaccompanied minors (UM) seeking asylum in Norway. Data were collected within three weeks (n=138) and at 4 months (n=101), 15 months (n=84) and 26 months (n=69) after arrival. Setting Initially in an observation and orientation centre for unaccompanied asylum-seeking adolescents, and subsequently wherever the UM were located in other refugee facilities in Norway. Participants Male UM from Afghanistan, Somalia, Algeria and Iran. Main outcome measures Mental health symptoms assessed by Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Results At the group level, the young asylum seekers reported high levels of psychological distress on arrival and symptom levels that stayed relatively unchanged over time. According to age-assessment procedures, 56% of the population were not recognised as minors. Subsequent placement in a low-support facility was associated with higher levels of psychological distress in the follow-up period. Those who were placed in a reception centre for adults had higher levels of psychological distress symptoms both after 15 months and 26 months compared with the remaining participants who were placed in reception centres for youth. Refusal of asylum was highly associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Conclusion Mental health trajectory of young asylum seekers appears to be negatively affected by low support and refusal of asylum.
Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, Jun 13, 2014
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are known to be subjected to several potentially tra... more Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are known to be subjected to several potentially traumatic life events, risking more mental health problems than other populations of same age. In this study, we aimed to explore the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity at an early stage after arrival to the host country. We performed structured clinical interviews (CIDI) with 160 male UASC from different countries (Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran), after four months in Norway. Most of the participants had experienced life threatening events (82%), physical abuse (78%), or loss of a close relative (78%) in their former life. Altogether 41.9% of the participants fulfilled diagnostic criteria for a current psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent diagnosis was PTSD (30, 6%), followed by MDD (9, 4%), Agoraphobia (4, 4%) and GAD (3, 8%). Implications of this vulnerability call for more mental health resources in the early stages of the asylum process. Increased awareness of psychiatric morbidity in UASC may improve the prognosis, give more appropriate care, and ease the integration process on all levels of society.
Large numbers of unaccompanied minors (UMs) have been migrating from low-income countries to Euro... more Large numbers of unaccompanied minors (UMs) have been migrating from low-income countries to European countries in recent years. Still, knowledge about risk behaviour and conduct problems in these populations is scarce. There is also a lack of knowledge about how mental health and behavioural problems in these populations change over time and whether this varies between host countries with different asylum procedures, care routines and reception facilities. Thus, our aim was to compare trajectories of mental health and behavioural problems in populations of UMs arriving in two European host countries with different practices for handling and care of UMs. We examined mental health and behavioural problems of UMs shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) using self-report questionnaires (HSCL‐37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). The same procedure was repeated after 18 months in both Norway (n=127) and Belgium (n=76). There was a significant increase in externalizing beha...
Teaching Creatively and Teaching Creativity, 2012
The Art in Action team proposes a new model for learning that emphasizes essential 21st century s... more The Art in Action team proposes a new model for learning that emphasizes essential 21st century skills. Contemporary research suggests a strong correlation between student engagement in the arts and classroom learning (Gazzaniga, Learning, arts, and the brain: The Dana Consortium report on arts and cognition. Dana Press, 2008). This project integrates teams of professional educators–teaching artists practiced in artistic excellence and arts processes, classroom educators experienced in curriculum design and implementation, and Arts Specialists credentialed in both realms who insure successful implementation–and students in an arts-infused classroom environment of collaborative learning.
Heir, T. & Derluyn, I. (2014). The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arriv... more Heir, T. & Derluyn, I. (2014). The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arrival in the host country. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 55, 33–37. Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns for this group, research on their mental health has seldom included the factor " time since arrival. " As a result, our knowledge of the mental health statuses of UM at specific points in time and over periods in their resettlement trajectories in European host countries is limited. This study therefore examined the mental health of UM shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) through the use of self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). High prevalence scores of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were found. In addition, particular associations were found with the number of traumatic events the UM reported. The results indicate that all UM have high support needs on arrival in the host country. Longitudinal studies following up patterns of continuity and change in their mental health during their trajectories in the host country are necessary.
Scandinavian journal of psychology, 2017
This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied mi... more This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied minor asylum seeking children. The aim of the study was to examine whether such an intervention may alleviate symptoms of trauma and enhance life satisfaction and hope. One hundred forty five unaccompanied minor refugee boys with their stated age between 15 and 18 were allocated into a 10 session 5 weeks manualized expressive arts intervention (EXIT) or a life as usual (LAU) control group. The participants were assessed at onset and 4 times over a period of 25 months with a battery of instruments measuring post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), general psychological distress (HSCL-25A), current life satisfaction (CLS) and expected life satisfaction (ELS). The instruments were presented in the participants' native languages, using touch-screen laptops and the computer program Multilingual Computer Assisted Interview (MultiCASI). There were significant time by group interactions in favor...
BMJ Open
Objectives To examine the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors prospectively during the ... more Objectives To examine the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors prospectively during the asylum-seeking process, with a focus on specific stages in the asylum process, such as age assessment, placement in a supportive or non-supportive facility and final decision on the asylum applications. Design This was a2½ year follow-up study of unaccompanied minors (UM) seeking asylum in Norway. Data were collected within three weeks (n=138) and at 4 months (n=101), 15 months (n=84) and 26 months (n=69) after arrival. Setting Initially in an observation and orientation centre for unaccompanied asylum-seeking adolescents, and subsequently wherever the UM were located in other refugee facilities in Norway. Participants Male UM from Afghanistan, Somalia, Algeria and Iran. Main outcome measures Mental health symptoms assessed by Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Results At the group level, the young asylum seekers reported high levels of psychological distress on arrival and symptom levels that stayed relatively unchanged over time. According to age-assessment procedures, 56% of the population were not recognised as minors. Subsequent placement in a low-support facility was associated with higher levels of psychological distress in the follow-up period. Those who were placed in a reception centre for adults had higher levels of psychological distress symptoms both after 15 months and 26 months compared with the remaining participants who were placed in reception centres for youth. Refusal of asylum was highly associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Conclusion Mental health trajectory of young asylum seekers appears to be negatively affected by low support and refusal of asylum.
Transcultural Psychiatry
Self-report screening is an important element of transcultural research. Problems concerning illi... more Self-report screening is an important element of transcultural research. Problems concerning illiteracy, cultural sensitivity, and possible misunderstandings have been handled differently in different settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of two well-known instruments: the Hopkins Symptoms Check List (HSCL-25), and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ, Part IV), with a sample of 160 unaccompanied asylum-seeking adolescents from Afghanistan and Somalia. Assessments were performed 4 months after arrival in Norway, and the screening instruments were presented to the informants on computers with touch-screen function, using the program MultiCASI. Sound-files in the native languages of the informants appeared simultaneously with the written items and could be repeated by touch. We found that the screening procedures were well received and understood by the informants regardless of reading and writing abilities. Agreement between diagnoses (CIDI) and screening resu...
Unaccompanied minor refugee boys - early intervention with Expressive Arts. Film as testimony.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 2014
Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns... more Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns for this group, research on their mental health has seldom included the factor "time since arrival." As a result, our knowledge of the mental health statuses of UM at specific points in time and over periods in their resettlement trajectories in European host countries is limited. This study therefore examined the mental health of UM shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) through the use of self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). High prevalence scores of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were found. In addition, particular associations were found with the number of traumatic events the UM reported. The results indicate that all UM have high support needs on arrival in the host country. Longitudinal studies following up patterns of continuity and change in their mental health during their trajectories in the host country are necessary.
Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 2014
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are known to be subjected to several potentially tra... more Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are known to be subjected to several potentially traumatic life events, risking more mental health problems than other populations of same age. In this study, we aimed to explore the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity at an early stage after arrival to the host country. We performed structured clinical interviews (CIDI) with 160 male UASC from different countries (Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran), after four months in Norway. Most of the participants had experienced life threatening events (82%), physical abuse (78%), or loss of a close relative (78%) in their former life. Altogether 41.9% of the participants fulfilled diagnostic criteria for a current psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent diagnosis was PTSD (30, 6%), followed by MDD (9, 4%), Agoraphobia (4, 4%) and GAD (3, 8%). Implications of this vulnerability call for more mental health resources in the early stages of the asylum process. Increased awareness of psychiatric morbidity in...
Heir, T. & Derluyn, I. (2014). The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arrival in t... more Heir, T. & Derluyn, I. (2014). The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arrival in the host country. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 55, 33–37. Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns for this group, research on their mental health has seldom included the factor " time since arrival. " As a result, our knowledge of the mental health statuses of UM at specific points in time and over periods in their resettlement trajectories in European host countries is limited. This study therefore examined the mental health of UM shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) through the use of self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). High prevalence scores of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were found. In addition, particular associations were found with the number of traumatic events the UM reported. The results indicate that all UM have high support needs on arrival in the host country. Longitudinal studies following up patterns of continuity and change in their mental health during their trajectories in the host country are necessary.
Research Square (Research Square), Mar 10, 2022
Large numbers of unaccompanied minors (UMs) have been migrating from low-income countries to Euro... more Large numbers of unaccompanied minors (UMs) have been migrating from low-income countries to European countries in recent years. Still, knowledge about risk behaviour and conduct problems in these populations is scarce. There is also a lack of knowledge about how mental health and behavioural problems in these populations change over time and whether this varies between host countries with different asylum procedures, care routines and reception facilities. Thus, our aim was to compare trajectories of mental health and behavioural problems in populations of UMs arriving in two European host countries with different practices for handling and care of UMs. We examined mental health and behavioural problems of UMs shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) using self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). The same procedure was repeated after 18 months in both Norway (n=127) and Belgium (n=76). There was a signi cant increase in externalizing behaviour among UMs in Belgium, but not among UMs in Norway. The changes were due to an increase in substance abuse more than other maladaptive externalizing behaviours. Internalizing symptoms and posttraumatic stress reactions stayed relatively unchanged for UMs in both countries. We postulate that different care and reception facilities for UMs may explain differences in substance abuse between the two countries. Apart from substance use, there were insigni cant changes in mental health and externalizing behaviours among UMs in the rst 18 months after arriving in their host countries.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, Nov 6, 2017
This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied mi... more This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied minor asylum seeking children. The aim of the study was to examine whether such an intervention may alleviate symptoms of trauma and enhance life satisfaction and hope. One hundred forty five unaccompanied minor refugee boys with their stated age between 15 and 18 were allocated into a 10 session 5 weeks manualized expressive arts intervention (EXIT) or a life as usual (LAU) control group. The participants were assessed at onset and 4 times over a period of 25 months with a battery of instruments measuring post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), general psychological distress (HSCL-25A), current life satisfaction (CLS) and expected life satisfaction (ELS). The instruments were presented in the participants' native languages, using touch-screen laptops and the computer program Multilingual Computer Assisted Interview (MultiCASI). There were significant time by group interactions in favor of the EXIT group for PTSS and CLS. At the end of the follow up the EXIT group had higher life satisfaction and hope for the future than the LAU group. A manualized EXIT group intervention can have a beneficial effect on helping minor refugee boys to cope with symptoms of trauma, strengthen their life satisfaction and develop hope for the future. Our findings support previous studies showing that the arts may help people in reconstructing meaning and connection with others by focusing on resources and creativity.
Abstract This article is about Expressive Arts (EXA) as a group intervention with survivors of wa... more Abstract This article is about Expressive Arts (EXA) as a group intervention with survivors of war and human-induced trauma living in exile. The therapeutic factors in EXA groups are presented. Expressive Arts in Transition (EXIT), an early intervention manual carried out with 71 unaccompanied refugee boys is discussed.
BMJ Open, Jun 1, 2017
Objectives To examine the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors prospectively during the ... more Objectives To examine the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors prospectively during the asylum-seeking process, with a focus on specific stages in the asylum process, such as age assessment, placement in a supportive or non-supportive facility and final decision on the asylum applications. Design This was a2½ year follow-up study of unaccompanied minors (UM) seeking asylum in Norway. Data were collected within three weeks (n=138) and at 4 months (n=101), 15 months (n=84) and 26 months (n=69) after arrival. Setting Initially in an observation and orientation centre for unaccompanied asylum-seeking adolescents, and subsequently wherever the UM were located in other refugee facilities in Norway. Participants Male UM from Afghanistan, Somalia, Algeria and Iran. Main outcome measures Mental health symptoms assessed by Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Results At the group level, the young asylum seekers reported high levels of psychological distress on arrival and symptom levels that stayed relatively unchanged over time. According to age-assessment procedures, 56% of the population were not recognised as minors. Subsequent placement in a low-support facility was associated with higher levels of psychological distress in the follow-up period. Those who were placed in a reception centre for adults had higher levels of psychological distress symptoms both after 15 months and 26 months compared with the remaining participants who were placed in reception centres for youth. Refusal of asylum was highly associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Conclusion Mental health trajectory of young asylum seekers appears to be negatively affected by low support and refusal of asylum.
Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, Jun 13, 2014
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are known to be subjected to several potentially tra... more Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are known to be subjected to several potentially traumatic life events, risking more mental health problems than other populations of same age. In this study, we aimed to explore the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity at an early stage after arrival to the host country. We performed structured clinical interviews (CIDI) with 160 male UASC from different countries (Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran), after four months in Norway. Most of the participants had experienced life threatening events (82%), physical abuse (78%), or loss of a close relative (78%) in their former life. Altogether 41.9% of the participants fulfilled diagnostic criteria for a current psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent diagnosis was PTSD (30, 6%), followed by MDD (9, 4%), Agoraphobia (4, 4%) and GAD (3, 8%). Implications of this vulnerability call for more mental health resources in the early stages of the asylum process. Increased awareness of psychiatric morbidity in UASC may improve the prognosis, give more appropriate care, and ease the integration process on all levels of society.
Large numbers of unaccompanied minors (UMs) have been migrating from low-income countries to Euro... more Large numbers of unaccompanied minors (UMs) have been migrating from low-income countries to European countries in recent years. Still, knowledge about risk behaviour and conduct problems in these populations is scarce. There is also a lack of knowledge about how mental health and behavioural problems in these populations change over time and whether this varies between host countries with different asylum procedures, care routines and reception facilities. Thus, our aim was to compare trajectories of mental health and behavioural problems in populations of UMs arriving in two European host countries with different practices for handling and care of UMs. We examined mental health and behavioural problems of UMs shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) using self-report questionnaires (HSCL‐37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). The same procedure was repeated after 18 months in both Norway (n=127) and Belgium (n=76). There was a significant increase in externalizing beha...
Teaching Creatively and Teaching Creativity, 2012
The Art in Action team proposes a new model for learning that emphasizes essential 21st century s... more The Art in Action team proposes a new model for learning that emphasizes essential 21st century skills. Contemporary research suggests a strong correlation between student engagement in the arts and classroom learning (Gazzaniga, Learning, arts, and the brain: The Dana Consortium report on arts and cognition. Dana Press, 2008). This project integrates teams of professional educators–teaching artists practiced in artistic excellence and arts processes, classroom educators experienced in curriculum design and implementation, and Arts Specialists credentialed in both realms who insure successful implementation–and students in an arts-infused classroom environment of collaborative learning.
Heir, T. & Derluyn, I. (2014). The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arriv... more Heir, T. & Derluyn, I. (2014). The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arrival in the host country. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 55, 33–37. Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns for this group, research on their mental health has seldom included the factor " time since arrival. " As a result, our knowledge of the mental health statuses of UM at specific points in time and over periods in their resettlement trajectories in European host countries is limited. This study therefore examined the mental health of UM shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) through the use of self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). High prevalence scores of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were found. In addition, particular associations were found with the number of traumatic events the UM reported. The results indicate that all UM have high support needs on arrival in the host country. Longitudinal studies following up patterns of continuity and change in their mental health during their trajectories in the host country are necessary.
Scandinavian journal of psychology, 2017
This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied mi... more This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied minor asylum seeking children. The aim of the study was to examine whether such an intervention may alleviate symptoms of trauma and enhance life satisfaction and hope. One hundred forty five unaccompanied minor refugee boys with their stated age between 15 and 18 were allocated into a 10 session 5 weeks manualized expressive arts intervention (EXIT) or a life as usual (LAU) control group. The participants were assessed at onset and 4 times over a period of 25 months with a battery of instruments measuring post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), general psychological distress (HSCL-25A), current life satisfaction (CLS) and expected life satisfaction (ELS). The instruments were presented in the participants' native languages, using touch-screen laptops and the computer program Multilingual Computer Assisted Interview (MultiCASI). There were significant time by group interactions in favor...
BMJ Open
Objectives To examine the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors prospectively during the ... more Objectives To examine the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors prospectively during the asylum-seeking process, with a focus on specific stages in the asylum process, such as age assessment, placement in a supportive or non-supportive facility and final decision on the asylum applications. Design This was a2½ year follow-up study of unaccompanied minors (UM) seeking asylum in Norway. Data were collected within three weeks (n=138) and at 4 months (n=101), 15 months (n=84) and 26 months (n=69) after arrival. Setting Initially in an observation and orientation centre for unaccompanied asylum-seeking adolescents, and subsequently wherever the UM were located in other refugee facilities in Norway. Participants Male UM from Afghanistan, Somalia, Algeria and Iran. Main outcome measures Mental health symptoms assessed by Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Results At the group level, the young asylum seekers reported high levels of psychological distress on arrival and symptom levels that stayed relatively unchanged over time. According to age-assessment procedures, 56% of the population were not recognised as minors. Subsequent placement in a low-support facility was associated with higher levels of psychological distress in the follow-up period. Those who were placed in a reception centre for adults had higher levels of psychological distress symptoms both after 15 months and 26 months compared with the remaining participants who were placed in reception centres for youth. Refusal of asylum was highly associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Conclusion Mental health trajectory of young asylum seekers appears to be negatively affected by low support and refusal of asylum.
Transcultural Psychiatry
Self-report screening is an important element of transcultural research. Problems concerning illi... more Self-report screening is an important element of transcultural research. Problems concerning illiteracy, cultural sensitivity, and possible misunderstandings have been handled differently in different settings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of two well-known instruments: the Hopkins Symptoms Check List (HSCL-25), and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ, Part IV), with a sample of 160 unaccompanied asylum-seeking adolescents from Afghanistan and Somalia. Assessments were performed 4 months after arrival in Norway, and the screening instruments were presented to the informants on computers with touch-screen function, using the program MultiCASI. Sound-files in the native languages of the informants appeared simultaneously with the written items and could be repeated by touch. We found that the screening procedures were well received and understood by the informants regardless of reading and writing abilities. Agreement between diagnoses (CIDI) and screening resu...
Unaccompanied minor refugee boys - early intervention with Expressive Arts. Film as testimony.
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 2014
Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns... more Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns for this group, research on their mental health has seldom included the factor "time since arrival." As a result, our knowledge of the mental health statuses of UM at specific points in time and over periods in their resettlement trajectories in European host countries is limited. This study therefore examined the mental health of UM shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) through the use of self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). High prevalence scores of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were found. In addition, particular associations were found with the number of traumatic events the UM reported. The results indicate that all UM have high support needs on arrival in the host country. Longitudinal studies following up patterns of continuity and change in their mental health during their trajectories in the host country are necessary.
Clinical Practice & Epidemiology in Mental Health, 2014
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are known to be subjected to several potentially tra... more Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) are known to be subjected to several potentially traumatic life events, risking more mental health problems than other populations of same age. In this study, we aimed to explore the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity at an early stage after arrival to the host country. We performed structured clinical interviews (CIDI) with 160 male UASC from different countries (Afghanistan, Somalia, Iran), after four months in Norway. Most of the participants had experienced life threatening events (82%), physical abuse (78%), or loss of a close relative (78%) in their former life. Altogether 41.9% of the participants fulfilled diagnostic criteria for a current psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent diagnosis was PTSD (30, 6%), followed by MDD (9, 4%), Agoraphobia (4, 4%) and GAD (3, 8%). Implications of this vulnerability call for more mental health resources in the early stages of the asylum process. Increased awareness of psychiatric morbidity in...
Heir, T. & Derluyn, I. (2014). The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arrival in t... more Heir, T. & Derluyn, I. (2014). The mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors on arrival in the host country. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 55, 33–37. Despite increasing numbers of unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) in Europe and heightened concerns for this group, research on their mental health has seldom included the factor " time since arrival. " As a result, our knowledge of the mental health statuses of UM at specific points in time and over periods in their resettlement trajectories in European host countries is limited. This study therefore examined the mental health of UM shortly after their arrival in Norway (n = 204) and Belgium (n = 103) through the use of self-report questionnaires (HSCL-37A, SLE, RATS, HTQ). High prevalence scores of anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms were found. In addition, particular associations were found with the number of traumatic events the UM reported. The results indicate that all UM have high support needs on arrival in the host country. Longitudinal studies following up patterns of continuity and change in their mental health during their trajectories in the host country are necessary.