A socio‑ecological analysis of risk, protective and promotive factors for the mental health of Burundian refugee children living in refugee camps
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer
Abstract
Children and adolescents’ mental health risk and resilience arise from a complex interplay of factors on several socioecological
levels. However, little is known about the factors that shape the mental health of refugee youth living in refugee
camps close to ongoing conflict. We conducted a cross-sectional study with a representative sample of 217 Burundian refugee
children aged 7–15 and their mothers residing in refugee camps in Tanzania to investigate associations between risk, protective
and promotive factors from various ecological levels (individual, microsystem, exosystem), and children’s post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, internalizing and externalizing problems, and prosocial behavior. Data were collected
using structured clinical interviews and analyzed using multiple regression models. Exposure to violence across all contexts
and engagement coping were risk factors for PTSD symptoms and internalizing problems, while only violence by mothers
seemed to increase children’s vulnerability for externalizing problems. A differential impact of violence exposures on prosocial
behavior was observed. Higher-quality friendships appeared to protect youth from PTSD symptoms and externalizing
problems, while they also promoted children’s prosocial behavior, just as mothers’ social support networks. Prevention and
intervention approaches should integrate risk, protective and promotive factors for refugee youth’s mental health across
multiple ecological contexts and take into account context-specific and adaptive responses to war and displacement.
Description
Keywords
Refugee children · Ecological · Risk factors · Mental health · Resilience · Post-traumatic stress
Citation
Scharpf, F. et al. (2020) ‘A socio-ecological analysis of risk, protective and promotive factors for the mental health of Burundian refugee children living in refugee camps’, European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, (0123456789). doi: 10.1007/s00787-020-01649-7.