Kindheit und Entwicklung
Volume 17, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 224-231

Traumatic experiences, current living conditions, and psychological distress symptoms among adolescent refugees [Traumatische Erfahrungen, aktuelle Lebensbedingungen im Exil und psychische Belastung junger Flüchtlinge] (Article)

Gavranidou M.* , Niemiec B. , Magg B. , Rosner R.
  • a Referat für Gesundheit und Umwelt, Landeshauptstadt München, Bayerstraße 28 a, 80335 München, Germany
  • b Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Leopoldstraße 13, 80802 München, Germany
  • c Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Leopoldstraße 13, 80802 München, Germany
  • d Department Psychologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Leopoldstraße 13, 80802 München, Germany

Abstract

Research on the mental health of refugee children in Germany is relatively rare. The present study aims at exploring current living conditions and psychological symptoms in young refugees. Thus 55 refugee children and adolescents aged 11-17 years living in Munich shelters were interviewed. Information on war experiences in the home countries and current living conditions was obtained by means of semistructured interviews. Symptoms of general psychological distress were assessed with the Youth Self Report and traumatic events and posttraumatic stress symptoms were measured with the respective items from the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders. The connections between symptoms and traumatic experiences in the past and current living conditions were explored. Results show that young refugees' current as well as past living conditions are highly stressful. Accordingly, they report high numbers of emotional and behavioral symptoms. Significant correlations were found between exile-related family stressors and current psychological symptoms. © Hogrefe Verlag, Göttingen 2008.

Author Keywords

war trauma Mental health Refugees Asylum seeker Children and adolescents

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-54949089007&doi=10.1026%2f0942-5403.17.4.224&partnerID=40&md5=df6a4ccbc1f949706e9cfd9cd7d414bf
DOI: 10.1026/0942-5403.17.4.224
ISSN: 09425403
Cited by: 26
Original Language: German