Syrian Refugee Children: A Study of Strengths and Difficulties (original) (raw)
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Archives of Clinical Psychiatry (São Paulo), 2018
Background: Turkey is the leading refugee-hosting country in the world. However, there are few studies which investigate mental wellbeing of refugee children in Turkey. Objective: The paper aims to examine the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems and associated risk factors among Syrian refugee minors in Turkey. Methods: The research involved 85 students from 2 th to 8 th grades. We investigated emotional and behavioural problems with parent-reported Arabic form of Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Socio-demographical findings and children's war-related experiences were also examined. Results: The study sample consisted of 49 (63.6%) girls, and 28 (36.4%) boys (total 77) from age 7 to 17. Average time after resettlement was 29.8 ± 11.2 (5 to 50 months) months. 66 (85.7%) children reported to had lost at least one familiar person due to the war. The mean experienced war-related traumatic events were calculated as 2.92 ± 1.86. Total difficulty scores of 30 (39.0%) children were above the cut off values. The rates of children whose SDQ problem scores exceeded the cutoff values were as high as 45.5% (35) for Emotional problems, 64.9% (50) for Peer, 27.3% (21) for conduct and 19.5% (15) for Hyperactivity problems. Discussion: Results indicate high prevalence rates of severe traumatic experiences and possible psychiatric disorders among child survivors of Syrian war which in its seventh year now.
Prevalence of psychiatric symptoms among refugee adolescents in Turkey: a controlled study
Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, 2021
Objective: To investigate prevalence of internalized and externalized psychological symptoms and war-related adverse events among a representative secondary-school sample of Syrian refugee adolescents, and to compare levels of depression, anxiety, and stress between Syrian refugee adolescents and Turkish adolescents. Methods: Syrian refugee adolescents (n=70) and Turkish adolescents (n=70) were asked to complete the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-42) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results: DASS and SDQ scores were significantly different between the two groups; scores in all problem areas were higher in refugees. Loss of a family member increased depression, stress, and total difficulty scored, whereas witnessing death increased anxiety and stress and experiencing multiple events increased depression, anxiety, and total difficulty scores. Maternal years of schooling correlated inversely with SDQ emotional symptoms, conduct problems, and hyperactivity/inattention problem scores. Both parents' years of schooling correlated inversely with SDQ total difficulties scores. Conclusion: Syrian refugee adolescents had higher depression, anxiety, behavioral problems, peer relationship problems, and general difficulties than their Turkish peers. Facilitating refugees' access to mental health services, educating their parents, consulting, and monitoring at-risk children may contribute to reducing psychosocial problems in refugee children.
MEJRS 1(1) Refugees and Mental State of Refugee Children
MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL OF REFUGEE STUDIES, 2016
With wars escalating in the Middle East, there has been a surge in refugee flows to neighboring countries. Issues such as the legal status and working rights of the refugees in host countries as well as the provision of education and health services, sheltering, clean water, and healthy food are now important topics of discussion in the host countries. Difficult ordeals that refugees experience and the social support they receive in host countries are known to be important factors that affect their mental health. Studies show that becoming a refugee leads to significant mental health issues. It is common for refugees to face discrimination and hostility in many countries and to be deprived of their basic human rights. This study shows that to protect the legal rights of refugee children in Turkey, examine psychological traumas and risk factors associated with mental health, and identify those in need of treatment and provide treatment, targeted projects should be implemented at schools, and therapeutic support and prescription of drugs may be necessary in some cases. This study aims to make specific recommendations regarding the integration of refugee children into societies and to help raise awareness about the refugee crisis.
Addressing traumas of Syrian refugee children through education in Turkey
2019
This thesis examines the therapeutic aspect of education that can be pivotal in the rehabilitation of refugee children. The focus of the research is on Turkey and the lack of attention that has been paid to the rehabilitative benefits that education provides for the traumas experienced by Syrian refugee children. Turkey and Non-governmental organizations working in Turkey to help with the Syrian refugee crisis have not made enough of a priority in addressing the widespread trauma the Syrian refugee children have experienced. We argue that education can be used as a method of rehabilitation for the traumas Syrian refugee children have experienced. We also show in this thesis the lack of priority, and funding towards education, and mental health programs during a humanitarian crisis. Furthermore, we show that addressing the traumas of Syrian refugee children is essential in preventing a potentially lost generation of Syrian refugee children. Preventing a lost generation of Syrian chil...
Trauma and resilient functioning among Syrian refugee children
Following the civil war in Syria, there has been a growing interest in the impact of war, violent conflict, and refuge on the development and mental health of refugee children in general and Syrian refugee children in particular. The objective of this paper is threefold: (a) to critically review the existing literature on the psychological functioning of Syrian refugee children, with a particular focus on those residing in the urban areas or camps in Turkey; (b) to identify the main theoretical and methodological problems of this emerging literature; and (c) to suggest guidelines for how to improve research and practice in this field. The reviewed literature predominantly focuses on psychological trauma, trauma-related symptomatology or other maladaptive functioning in children, and psychosocial interventions conducted toward alleviating these issues. This paper will summarize the research findings in the above-mentioned topics to discern what can be known from the existing literature on Syrian refugee children.
Determinants of psychiatric disorders in children refugees in Turkey’s Yazidi refugee camp
Psychiatry and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 2018
Objective: To examine the mental health states of a sample of Yazidi refugee children and adolescents who migrated from war-torn Iraq's Sinjar region and to determine the risk and protective factors for psychiatric disorders among the refugee children and adolescents. Method: The participants of this research were children and adolescents between ages 6 and 17 who live in a refugee camp in Turkey. Their parents/guardians provided written informed consents for the research. The research was approved by the Ethics Council of Sakarya University. Participants with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders were excluded from the study. Two child and adolescent psychiatrists speaking their native language interviewed and evaluated each of the participants. Collected data included sociodemographic information about previous and current living situations, Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime-Turkish Version (K-SADS-PL). Results: One hundred and thirty-six children and adolescents (76 boys, 63 girls; mean age = 11.05 ± 3.11 (SD)). At the time of the assessment, 43.4% had posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (n = 59), 27.9% depression (n = 38), 10.3% nocturnal enuresis (n = 14), 9.6% behavioural problems (n = 7), and 5.1% anxiety disorders (n = 13). Conclusions: Many of the refugee children and adolescents had developed psychiatric disorders, or are at risk for PTSD and depression. Also, the ongoing ambiguity regarding their living conditions, interruption of their education, a lack of hope for the future and anxiety regarding the ones they left behind are considered to be risk factors for the development of psychiatric and social problems in the future. Living with family members and not having losses from the immediate family are protective factors.
Resilience and Mental Health Among Syrian Refugee Children in Jordan
Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 2021
Refugee populations are at high risk of experiencing trauma and developing negative mental health outcomes. The resilience of Syrian refugee children is not well established as far as modifying the association between trauma and mental illness. A total of 339 Syrian refugee children aged 10 to 17 were surveyed to assess resilience, depression and history of trauma. All children reported exposure to at least one traumatic event, 48.6% reported exposure to highly salient traumatic events such as being held hostage, kidnapping or imprisonment. High rates of suicidal ideation and depression symptomatology were found. Resilience was strongly inversely related to depression. Relational support was found to be the most protective resilience factor and was the most highly correlated with less depressive symptomatology. Empowering children and families to build resilience through social support may be a viable prevention and management approach to other unaffordable or unavailable treatments...