Psychosocial problems in traumatized refugee families: Overview of risks and some recommendations for support services

Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
Volume 12, Issue 1, 2018

Psychosocial problems in traumatized refugee families: Overview of risks and some recommendations for support services (Article) (Open Access)

Fegert J.M.* , Diehl C. , Leyendecker B. , Hahlweg K. , Prayon-Blum V. , Schuler-Harms M. , Werding M. , Andresen S. , Beblo M. , Diewald M. , Fangerau H. , Gerlach I. , Kreyenfeld M. , Nebe K. , Ott N. , Rauschenbach T. , Spieb C.K. , Walper S. , and the Scientific Advisory Council of the Federal Ministry of Family Affairs , Senior , Citizens , Women and Youth

^a University Hospital Ulm, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Steinhoevelstrasse 5, Ulm, 89075, Germany
^b University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
^c Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Bochum, Germany
^d Technische Universitaet Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
^e University Hospital Ulm, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychotherapy, Steinhoevelstrasse 5, Ulm, 89075, Germany
^f Universitaet Hamburg, Germany
^g Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Germany
^h Goethe-Universitaet Frankfurt am Main, Germany
ⁱ Universitaet Hamburg, Germany
^j University Bielefeld, Germany
^k Heinrich-Heine-Universitaet Duesseldorf, Germany
^l Evangelische Fachhochschule RWL Bochum, Germany
^m Max-Planck-Institut fuer demografische Forschung, Hertie School of Governance, Germany
ⁿ Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle, Wittenberg, Germany
^o Ruhr-Universitaet Bochum, Germany
^p Deutsches Jugendinstitut, Germany
^q Deutsches Institut fuer Wirtschaftsforschung, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Germany
^r Deutsches Jugendinstitut, Germany
^s Senior, Citizens, Women and Youth
^t [Affiliation not available]
^u [Affiliation not available]
^v [Affiliation not available]

Abstract

This article is an abridged version of a report by an advisory council to the German government on the psychosocial problems facing refugee families from war zones who have settled in Germany. It omits the detailed information contained in the report about matters that are specific to the German health system and asylum laws, and includes just those insights and strategies that may be applicable to assisting refugees in other host countries as well. The focus is on understanding the developmental risks faced by refugee children when they or family members are suffering from trauma-related psychological disorders, and on identifying measures that can be taken to address these risks. The following recommendations are made: recognizing the high level of psychosocial problems present in these families, providing family-friendly living accommodations, teaching positive parenting skills, initiating culture-sensitive interventions, establishing training programs to support those who work with refugees, expanding the availability of trained interpreters, facilitating access to education and health care, and identifying intervention requirements through screening and other measures. © 2018 The Author(s).

Author Keywords

families Post-traumatic stress Psychosocial risk Children Refugees Support

Index Keywords

health service priority journal Germany parenting education refugee psychosocial disorder Child Development screening health care interpreter service mental disease Article human family health care access war

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85040453372&doi=10.1186%2fs13034-017-0210-3&partnerID=40&md5=e77d57e388f03791a3b5826aa379ab6c

DOI: 10.1186/s13034-017-0210-3

ISSN: 17532000

Cited by: 4

Original Language: English