Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
Volume 26, Issue 1, 1998, Pages 18-25

Political violence, family stress and mental health of refugee children in exile (Article)

Hjern A. , Jeppson O. , Angel B.
  • a Department of Pediatrics at Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
  • b Department of Pediatrics at Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
  • c Department of Child Psychiatry, Växjö Hospital, Växjö, Sweden

Abstract

The mental health of 63 refugee children, with a mean age of 5,9 years, from Chile and the Middle East, were studied during the first 18 months of exile in Stockholm, Sweden. 46% of the children were rated as having poor mental health five months after resettlement in symptom interviews with parents based on the structured questionnaire developed by Cederblad, and 44% thirteen months later. Political violence in the home country and stress in the family sphere in exile were identified as the major determinants of poor mental health in this context. © 1998, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Family Stress Emigration Refugee children Services Mental health PTSD Immigration Child health

Index Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-21544449124&doi=10.1177%2f14034948980260010701&partnerID=40&md5=5382bd8bca57390c64e13c769613409b

DOI: 10.1177/14034948980260010701
ISSN: 14034948
Cited by: 18
Original Language: English