Psychological distress in refugee children: a systematic review

Bronstein, Israel; Montgomery, Paul

doi:10.1007/s10567-010-0081-0

Cited by 634Migration, Health and TraumaMigration and Exile StudiesEducation and experiences of immigrants and refugees

Psychological distress in refugee children: a systematic review

Bronstein, Israel, Montgomery, Paul·2011·Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review

DOI 10.1007/s10567-010-0081-0

Open this paper in CoChat — free account

Abstract

Nearly one-quarter of the refugees worldwide are children. There have been numerous studies reporting their levels of psychological distress. The aim of this paper is to review systematically and synthesize the epidemiological research concerning the mental health of refugee children residing in Western countries. A Cochrane Collaboration style review was conducted searching nine major databases, bibliographies, and grey literature from 2003 to 2008. Included studies had to meet the reporting standards of STROBE and investigate mental health in non-clinical samples of asylum seeking and refugee children residing in OECD countries. A total of twenty-two studies were identified of 4,807 retrieved citations, covering 3,003 children from over 40 countries. Studies varied in definition and measurement of problems, which included levels of post-traumatic stress disorder from 19 to 54%, depression from 3 to 30%, and varying degrees of emotional and behavioral problems. Significant factors influencing levels of distress appear to include demographic variables, cumulative traumatic pre-migration experiences, and post-migration stressors. Importantly, the research base demands greater contextual and methodological refining such that future research would have greater generalizability and clinical implications.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1007/s10567-010-0081-0

Cites

80 of 80 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Recomputing p-values needs the paper’s full text.

Claims the paper makes

This paper’s full text isn’t openly available, so its claims and self-check weren’t run. The registry and citation checks still apply.

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Previous research has documented increased post-traumatic stress and depression levels among refugee youth.
“Previous research has documented increased post-traumatic stress and depression levels among refugee youth (Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011).”
From Investigating the potential of a novel internet-based cognitive behavioural intervention for Dari and Farsi speaking refugee youth: A feasibility study (2022) · cites this paper as Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011
The decision to investigate an individually tailored intervention potentially addresses the high comorbidity among refugee youth.
“The decision to investigate an individually tailored intervention potentially addresses the high comorbidity among refugee youth (Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011; Păsărelu et al., 2017).”
From Investigating the potential of a novel internet-based cognitive behavioural intervention for Dari and Farsi speaking refugee youth: A feasibility study (2022) · cites this paper as Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011
More than half of refugees are children who are at increased risk for the development of mental disorders.
“More than half of refugees are children who are at increased risk for the development of mental disorders (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Charlson et al., 2019).”
From Feasibility trial of a scalable transdiagnostic group psychological intervention for Syrians residing in a refugee camp (2021) · cites this paper as Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011
Female gender may be a risk factor for the development of PTSD and depression.
“and thus female gender may be a risk factor for the development of PTSD and depression [4].”
From Examining cognitive behavioral therapy interventions for unaccompanied minors: a systematic review and qualitative research synthesis. (2025) · cites this paper as [4]
Many reports indicate that refugee youth experience high rates of psychological distress.
“Many reports indicate that refugee youth experience high rates of psychological distress [14–16].”
From Effectiveness of a brief group behavioral intervention for common mental disorders in Syrian refugees in Jordan: a randomized controlled trial (2022) · cites this paper as [14]

The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: Guidelines for Reporting Observational Studies
von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gøtzsche, P. C., Vandenbroucke, J. P., & Initiative, F. T. S. (2007) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0040296 · Cited by 23,020 · see citing works
The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies
von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gøtzsche, P. C., Vandenbroucke, J. P., & Initiative, F. T. S. (2007) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-147-8-200710160-00010 · Cited by 17,796 · see citing works
The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: A research note
Goodman, R. (1997) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01545.x · Cited by 14,908 · see citing works
Impact of Event Scale: A Measure of Subjective Stress
Horowitz, M., Wilner, N., & Alvarez, W. (1979) · Psychosomatic Medicine · doi:10.1097/00006842-197905000-00004 · Cited by 7,813 · see citing works
Untitled work
(1988) · NFER-Nelson eBooks · Cited by 5,560 · see citing works
Untitled work
(1991) · Cited by 3,844 · see citing works
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
Rutter, M. (1985) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.147.6.598 · Cited by 3,616 · see citing works
Prevalence of serious mental disorder in 7000 refugees resettled in western countries: a systematic review.
Fazel, M., Wheeler, J., & Danesh, J. (2005) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(05)61027-6 · Cited by 2,292 · see citing works
The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Statement: Guidelines for Reporting Observational Studies
von Elm, E., Altman, D. G., Egger, M., Pocock, S. J., Gøtzsche, P. C., & Vandenbroucke, J. P. (2007) · Epidemiology · doi:10.1097/ede.0b013e3181577654 · Cited by 1,991 · see citing works
Predisplacement and Postdisplacement Factors Associated With Mental Health of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons: A Meta-analysis
Porter, M., & Haslam, N. (2005) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.294.5.602 · Cited by 1,793 · see citing works
Research Methods in Health. Investigating health and health services
Bowling, A. (1997) · Research Repository (Kingston University London) · Cited by 1,637 · see citing works
The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Validating a cross-cultural instrument for measuring torture, trauma, and posttraumatic stress disorder in Indochinese refugees.
Mollica, R. F., Caspi-Yavin, Y., Bollini, P., Truong, T., Tor, S., & Lavelle, J. (1992) · PubMed · Cited by 1,551 · see citing works
The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire: Validating a Cross-Cultural Instrument for Measuring Torture, Trauma, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Indochinese Refugees
MOLLICA, R. F., CASPI-YAVIN, Y., BOLLINI, P., TRUONG, T., TOR, S., & LAVELLE, J. (1992) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/00005053-199202000-00008 · Cited by 1,489 · see citing works
More Labels, Fewer Refugees: Remaking the Refugee Label in an Era of Globalization
Zetter, R. (2007) · Journal of Refugee Studies · doi:10.1093/jrs/fem011 · Cited by 1,045 · see citing works
Is there an epidemic of child or adolescent depression?
Jane Costello, E., Erkanli, A., & Angold, A. (2006) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01682.x · Cited by 983 · cited 1× · see citing works
“of diagnostic interviews for depression in the USA and the United Kingdom reported a 5.7% prevalence rate among a representative sample of children aged up to 18 years ( Costello et al. 2006 ).”
BackgroundInfluential
Stress, Coping, and Development in Children
Garmezy, N. (1988) · Johns Hopkins University Press eBooks · doi:10.56021/9780801836510 · Cited by 935 · see citing works
STRESS, COPING AND DEVELOPMENT: SOME ISSUES AND SOME QUESTIONS *
Rutter, M. L. (1981) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.1981.tb00560.x · Cited by 850 · see citing works
Review of Child and Adolescent Refugee Mental Health
Lustig, S. L., Kia‐Keating, M., Grant-Knight, W., Geltman, P. L., Ellis, H., Kinzie, J. D., Keane, T. M., & Saxe, G. (2004) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/00004583-200401000-00012 · Cited by 790 · see citing works
Anxiety, depression and PTSD in asylum-seekers: Assocations with pre-migration trauma and post-migration stressors
Silove, D. M., Sinnerbrink, I. B., Field, A., Manicavasagar, V. L., & Steel, Z. (1997) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.170.4.351 · Cited by 750 · see citing works
Descriptive studies: what they can and cannot do
Grimes, D. A., & Schulz, K. F. (2002) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(02)07373-7 · Cited by 591 · see citing works
Mental health of Somali adolescent refugees: The role of trauma, stress, and perceived discrimination.
Ellis, B. H., MacDonald, H. Z., Lincoln, A. K., & Cabral, H. (2008) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-006x.76.2.184 · Cited by 560 · see citing works
Epidemiology of Depressive Symptoms in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health
Rushton, J. L., Forcier, M. M., & Schectman, R. (2002) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/00004583-200202000-00014 · Cited by 552 · see citing works
From post-traumatic stress disorder to cultural bereavement: Diagnosis of Southeast Asian refugees
Eisenbruch, M. (1991) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/0277-9536(91)90021-4 · Cited by 526 · see citing works
The mental health of refugee children
Fazel, M. S. (2002) · Archives of Disease in Childhood · doi:10.1136/adc.87.5.366 · Cited by 469 · see citing works
Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (1951)
Hathaway, J. C. (2005) · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511614859.010 · Cited by 461 · see citing works
Belonging and Connection to School in Resettlement: Young Refugees, School Belonging, and Psychosocial Adjustment
Kia‐Keating, M., & Ellis, B. H. (2007) · Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/1359104507071052 · Cited by 452 · see citing works
Stressors of childhood.
Garmezy, N. (1983) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 441 · see citing works
Comparing Psychological Distress, Traumatic Stress Reactions, and Experiences of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors With Experiences of Adolescents Accompanied by Parents
Bean, T., Derluyn, I., Eurelings-Bontekoe, E. H. M., Broekaert, E., & Spinhoven, P. (2007) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000243751.49499.93 · Cited by 401 · see citing works
Risk and resilience for psychological distress amongst unaccompanied asylum seeking adolescents
Hodes, M., Jagdev, D., Chandra, N., & Cunniff, A. L. (2008) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.01912.x · Cited by 370 · see citing works
Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Depression Among Children in Tsunami-Affected Areas in Southern Thailand
Thienkrua, W. (2006) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.296.5.549 · Cited by 367 · see citing works
Mental health, race, and culture
Fernando, S. J. M. (2010) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.48-2116 · Cited by 320 · see citing works
PTSD and depression in refugee children
Heptinstall, E., Sethna, V., & Taylor, E. A. (2004) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-004-0422-y · Cited by 302 · see citing works
Conflict and health: War and mental health: a brief overview
Summerfield, D. A. (2000) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7255.232 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
A comparison of the mental health of refugees with temporary versus permanent protection visas
Momartin, S., Steel, Z., Coello, M., Aroche, J., Silove, D. M., & Brooks, R. (2006) · The Medical Journal of Australia · doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006.tb00610.x · Cited by 233 · see citing works
Course and predictors of mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors in the Netherlands: One year follow-up
Bean, T., Eurelings-Bontekoe, E. H. M., & Spinhoven, P. (2007) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.11.010 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
Mental Health, Race and Culture
Fernando, S. J. M. (2010) · doi:10.1007/978-1-137-01368-2 · Cited by 220 · see citing works
A Review of PTSD in Children.
Dyregrov, A., & Yule, W. (2006) · Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.1111/j.1475-3588.2005.00384.x · Cited by 217 · see citing works
Research Methods in Health. Investigating Health and Health Services(Second Edition) Research Methods in Health. Investigating Health and Health Services Ann Bowling Open University Press 429 £22.50 0335206433 0335206433
Hendry, C. (2003) · Nurse Researcher · doi:10.7748/nr.10.2.81.s11 · Cited by 211 · see citing works
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Goodman, R. (1997) · PsycTESTS Dataset · doi:10.1037/t00540-000 · Cited by 204 · see citing works
Trauma and coping in Somali and Oromo refugee youth
Halcón, L. L., Robertson, C. L., Savik, K., Johnson, D. R., Spring, M., Butcher, J. N., Westermeyer, J. J., & Jaranson, J. M. (2004) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2003.08.005 · Cited by 199 · see citing works
Forced Migration Studies: Could We Agree Just to 'Date'?
Hathaway, J. C. (2007) · Journal of Refugee Studies · doi:10.1093/jrs/fem019 · Cited by 196 · see citing works
Mental health of refugee children: comparative study
Fazel, M., & Stein, A. (2003) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7407.134 · Cited by 188 · cited 2× · see citing works
“135 11‐20 PTSD, Depression No Fazel and Stein 2003 United”
BackgroundResult
The “Lost Boys of Sudan”
Geltman, P. L., Grant-Knight, W., Mehta, S. D., Lloyd-Travaglini, C. A., Lustig, S. L., Landgraf, J. M., & Wise, P. H. (2005) · Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine · doi:10.1001/archpedi.159.6.585 · Cited by 158 · see citing works
Mental health among children seeking asylum in Denmark – the effect of length of stay and number of relocations: a cross-sectional study
Nielsen, S. S., Nørredam, M. L., Christiansen, K. L., Obel, C., Hilden, J., & Krasnik, A. (2008) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-293 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Psychologically Distressed Refugee Children in the United Kingdom
Hodes, M. (2000) · Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.1111/1475-3588.00286 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Children and War: Current Understandings and Future Directions
Berman, H. (2001) · Public Health Nursing · doi:10.1046/j.1525-1446.2001.00243.x · Cited by 135 · see citing works
The mental health of refugees: Ecological approaches to healing and adaptation.
Miller, K. E., & Rasco, L. M. (2004) · Cited by 130 · see citing works
Refugee Children: Towards the Next Horizon
Gold, S. J. (2009) · Contemporary Sociology A Journal of Reviews · doi:10.1177/009430610903800220 · Cited by 115 · see citing works
An Ecological Framework for Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Refugee Communities
(2004) · The Mental Health of Refugees · doi:10.4324/9781410610263-8 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
Psychologically Distressed Refugee Children in the United Kingdom
Hodes, M. (2000) · Child Psychology and Psychiatry Review · doi:10.1017/s136064170000215x · Cited by 112 · see citing works
The complexity of trauma response: a 4-year follow-up of adolescent Cambodian refugees
Rousseau, C., Drapeau, A., & Rahimi, S. (2003) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.07.001 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
Mental health needs, service use and costs among Somali refugees in the UK
McCrone, P., Bhui, K. S., Craig, T., Mohamud, S. M., Warfa, N., Stansfeld, S. A., Thornicroft, G., & Curtis, S. E. (2005) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2004.00494.x · Cited by 107 · see citing works
Refugee children from the Middle East
Montgomery, E. (1998) · Scandinavian Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1080/14034949850153329 · Cited by 104 · see citing works
The Mental Health of Refugee Children
Rousseau, C. (1995) · Transcultural Psychiatric Research Review · doi:10.1177/136346159503200304 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Refugee Children: Towards the Next Horizon
Watters, C. (2000) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Table 1. Refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced persons (IDPs), returnees (refugees and IDPs), stateless persons, and others of concern to UNHCR by country/territory of asylum, end-2008
Faso, B. (2010) · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Seeking asylum in Denmark: refugee children's mental health and exposure to violence
Montgomery, E., & Foldspang, A. (2005) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki059 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Measuring Trauma and Health Status in Refugees: A Critical Review
Hollifield, M., Warner, T. D., Lian, N., Krakow, B., Jenkins, J. H., Kesler, J., Stevenson, J., & Westermeyer, J. (2002) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.288.5.611 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Family Environment and Emotional and Behavioural Symptoms in Adolescent Cambodian Refugees: Influence of Time, Gender, and Acculturation
Rousseau, C., Drapeau, A., & Platt, R. W. (2004) · Medicine Conflict & Survival · doi:10.1080/1362369042000234735 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
Unaccompanied Adolescents Seeking Asylum
Reijneveld, S. A., de Boer, J. B., Bean, T., & Korfker, D. G. (2005) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/01.nmd.0000185870.55678.82 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Are Refugee Children an At-Risk Group? A Longitudinal Study of Cambodian Adolescents
Rousseau, C. (2003) · Journal of Refugee Studies · doi:10.1093/jrs/16.1.67 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
Epidemiological Aspects of PTSD in Children and Adolescents.
Gabbay, V., Oatis, M. D., Silva, R. R., & Hirsch, G. S. (2004) · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Global Evidence for a Biopsychosocial Understanding of Refugee Adaptation
Porter, M. (2007) · Transcultural Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/1363461507081639 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
States of conflict : causes and patterns of forced migration to the EU and policy responses
Castles, S., Crawley, H., & Loughna, S. (2003) · IPPR eBooks · Cited by 47 · see citing works
THE PSYCHOSOCIAL WELLNESS OF REFUGEES
(2000) · Berghahn Books · doi:10.3167/9781571812049 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
The Effects of Violence on Health and Adjustment of Southeast Asian Refugee Children: An Integrative Review
Fox, P. G., Cowell, J. M., & Montgomery, A. C. (1994) · Public Health Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1525-1446.1994.tb00401.x · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Mental health of Bosnian refugee children: A comparison of clinician appraisal with parent, child and teacher reports
Goldin, S., Hägglöf, B., Levin, L., & Persson, L. Å. (2008) · Nordic Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1080/08039480801983604 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
The Emotional Well‐Being of Young People Seeking Asylum in the UK
Jeyasingham, D. (2009) · Child & Family Social Work · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2206.2009.00651.x · Cited by 32 · see citing works
The mental health and social circumstances of Kosovan Albanian and Albanian unaccompanied refugee adolescents living in London
Hollins, K., Heydari, H., Grayson, K., & Leavey, G. (2007) · Diversity & Equality in Health and Care · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Unaccompanied refugee children
Huemer, J., Karnik, N. S., & Steiner, H. (2009) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(09)60380-9 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN IN THE UNITED STATES A Literature Review
Byrne, O. (2008) · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Lost boys of Sudan
DiConsiglio, J. (2004) · Scholastic eBooks · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Restricting the influx of disability beneficiaries by means of law: experiences in Norway
Claussen, B. (1998) · Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicine · doi:10.1177/14034948980260010401 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Freedom, Security and Justice
Walker, N. (2003) · Cadmus - EUI Research Repository (European University Institute) · Cited by 14 · see citing works
An Ecological Framework
Beanlands, G. E., & Duinker, P. N. (1986) · Environment Science and Policy for Sustainable Development · doi:10.1080/00139157.1986.9928830 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
What are they doing here? A critical guide to asylum and immigration
Hayes, D., & Fell, P. (2007) · e-space (Manchester Metropolitan University) · Cited by 14 · see citing works
[The mental health of asylum-seeking children in Denmark].
Nielsen, S. S., Nørredam, M. L., Christensen, K. L., Obel, C., & Krasnik, A. (2007) · PubMed · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Children and Young Persons Act 1963 : Chapter 37
Great Britain. Her Majesty's Stationery Office (1963) · Medical Entomology and Zoology · Cited by 4 · see citing works
The mental health needs of refugee children
Brooksbank, D. J. (1994) · Psychiatric Bulletin · doi:10.1192/pb.18.2.114-a · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Otroci in mladostniki brez spremstrva v Belgiji
Derluyn, I., & Broekaert, E. (2005) · Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University) · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Flagged first, then by citations

3 of the 83 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Sorted by citations

Epidemiology of Psychological Distress
Drapeau, A., Marchand, A., & Beaulieu‐Prévost, D. (2012) · InTech eBooks · doi:10.5772/30872 · Cited by 555 · see citing works
“Bronstein and Montgomery conducted a systematic review of the literature related to the epidemiology of psychological distress in refugee children based on 22 studies (Bronstein and Montgomery 2011).”
Common mental disorders in asylum seekers and refugees: umbrella review of prevalence and intervention studies
Turrini, G., Purgato, M., Ballette, F., Nosè, M., Ostuzzi, G., & Barbui, C. (2017) · International Journal of Mental Health Systems · doi:10.1186/s13033-017-0156-0 · Cited by 412 · see citing works
“Bronstein I, Montgomery P. Psychological distress in refugee children: a systematic review.”
BackgroundInfluential
School-Related Outcomes of Traumatic Event Exposure and Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Students: A Systematic Review of Research from 1990 to 2015
Perfect, M. M., Turley, M. R., Carlson, J. S., Yohanna, J., & Saint Gilles, M. P. (2016) · School Mental Health · doi:10.1007/s12310-016-9175-2 · Cited by 382 · see citing works
Validated Screening Tools for Common Mental Disorders in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review
Ali, G.-C., Ryan, G., & De Silva, M. J. (2016) · PLOS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0156939 · Cited by 358 · see citing works
“Co-morbidity with other health problems is high and worsens prognosis [4–6], and prevalence of CMDs is higher in low-income groups [7], ethnic minorities [8] and migrant populations [9, 10].”
Background
Prevalence of mental disorders in young refugees and asylum seekers in European Countries: a systematic review
Kien, C., Sommer, I., Faustmann, A., Gibson, L., Schneider, M., Krczal, E., Jank, R., Klerings, I., Szeląg, M., Kerschner, B., et al. (2018) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-018-1215-z · Cited by 333 · see citing works
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: The Prevalence of Mental Illness in Child and Adolescent Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Blackmore, R., Gray, K. M., Boyle, J. A., Fazel, M. S., Ranasinha, S., Fitzgerald, G., Misso, M. L., & Gibson‐Helm, M. E. (2019) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2019.11.011 · Cited by 340 · see citing works
Effects of armed conflict on child health and development: A systematic review
Kadir, A., Shenoda, S., & Goldhagen, J. L. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210071 · Cited by 307 · see citing works
A Systematic Review of School-Based Social-Emotional Interventions for Refugee and War-Traumatized Youth
Sullivan, A. L., & Simonson, G. R. (2015) · Review of Educational Research · doi:10.3102/0034654315609419 · Cited by 296 · see citing works
“Trauma can have a cumulative effect, such that effects increase with repeated trauma (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011), or a dose-effect relationship between trauma and symptoms after resettlement (KiaKeating & Ellis, 2007).”
BackgroundInfluential
The mental health and wellbeing of first generation migrants: a systematic-narrative review of reviews
Close, C., Kouvonen, A. M., Bosqui, T. J., Patel, K., O’Reilly, D., & Donnelly, M. (2016) · Globalization and Health · doi:10.1186/s12992-016-0187-3 · Cited by 257 · see citing works
“Bronstein and Montgomery [15] found that, on average, 18 % of refugee children experienced self-reported depression (range: 3–30 %) and 36 % had PTSD (range: 9–54 %).”
BackgroundInfluential
Learning Problems in Children of Refugee Background: A Systematic Review
Graham, H., Minhas, R. S., & Paxton, G. (2016) · PEDIATRICS · doi:10.1542/peds.2015-3994 · Cited by 246 · see citing works
Resilience of children with refugee statuses: A research review
Pieloch, K. A., McCullough, M. B., & Marks, A. K. (2016) · Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne · doi:10.1037/cap0000073 · Cited by 228 · see citing works
The effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on refugees' parenting and their children's mental health: a cohort study
Bryant, R. A., Edwards, B., Creamer, M., O'Donnell, M., Forbes, D., Felmingham, K. L., Silove, D., Steel, Z., Nickerson, A., McFarlane, A. C., et al. (2018) · The Lancet Public Health · doi:10.1016/s2468-2667(18)30051-3 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
“%] fathers, and 13 [3”
The role of social support in the acculturation and mental health of unaccompanied minor asylum seekers
Oppedal, B., & Idsøe, T. (2015) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/sjop.12194 · Cited by 222 · see citing works
Cognitive assessment of refugee children: Effects of trauma and new language acquisition
Kaplan, I., Stolk, Y., Valibhoy, M., Tucker, A., & Baker, J. (2015) · Transcultural Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/1363461515612933 · Cited by 221 · see citing works
“Indeed, refugee children may be at particular risk of disrupted attachment due to various aspects of the refugee experience (Montgomery, 2011).”
Influential
Between power and powerlessness: a meta-ethnography of sources of resilience in young refugees
Sleijpen, M., Boeije, H., Kleber, R. J., & Mooren, T. T. M. (2015) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2015.1044946 · Cited by 204 · see citing works
“These conditions put young refugees at serious risk of developing a range of health problems, which include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mood disorders, and emotional and behavioral problems (Bronstein and Montgomery 2011; Fazel et al. 2012; Lustig et al. 2004).”
Painful Passages: Traumatic Experiences and Post-Traumatic Stress among U.S. Immigrant Latino Adolescents and their Primary Caregivers
Perreira, K. M., & Ornelas, I. J. (2013) · International Migration Review · doi:10.1111/imre.12050 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
“First recognized as a syndrome suffered by war veterans, most PTSD research among immigrants focuses on refugees from war-torn areas (Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011; Johnson and Thompson, 2008; Lustig, et al., 2004).”
BackgroundResult
Everyday life experiences and mental health among conflict-affected forced migrants: A meta-analysis
Hou, W. K., Liu, H., Liang, L., Ho, J., Kim, H., Seong, E., Bonanno, G. A., Hobfoll, S. E., & Hall, B. J. (2019) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.165 · Cited by 208 · see citing works
“Factors including discrimination, restrictions in living arrangements, settlement in refugee camp, among others, were associated with higher depressive and PTSD symptoms among refugee children (Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011; Fazel et al., 2012; Porter and Haslam, 2005; Tol et al., 2013).”
Background
Mental Health Effects of Premigration Trauma and Postmigration Discrimination on Refugee Youth in Canada
Beiser, M., & Hou, F. (2016) · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease · doi:10.1097/nmd.0000000000000516 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
“Adolescent girls tend to have higher levels of internalizing symptoms and boys, more conduct problems (Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011; Porter and Haslam, 2005).”
BackgroundInfluential
How the different policies and school systems affect the inclusion of Syrian refugee children in Sweden, Germany, Greece, Lebanon and Turkey
Crul, M., Lelie, F., Biner, Ö., Bunar, N., Keskiner, E., Kokkali, I., Schneider, J., & Shuayb, M. (2019) · Comparative Migration Studies · doi:10.1186/s40878-018-0110-6 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Addressing Health Disparities in the Mental Health of Refugee Children and Adolescents Through Community-Based Participatory Research: A Study in 2 Communities
Betancourt, T. S., Frounfelker, R. L., Mishra, T., Hussein, A., & Falzarano, R. (2015) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2014.302504 · Cited by 170 · see citing works
Mental Health of Refugee Children and Youth: Epidemiology, Interventions, and Future Directions
Frounfelker, R. L., Miconi, D., Farrar, J., Brooks, M. A., Rousseau, C., & Betancourt, T. S. (2020) · Annual Review of Public Health · doi:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040119-094230 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Mental, neurological, and substance use problems among refugees in primary health care: analysis of the Health Information System in 90 refugee camps
Kane, J. C., Ventevogel, P., Spiegel, P., Bass, J. K., van Ommeren, M., & Tol, W. A. (2014) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-014-0228-9 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
“Meta-analysis of the most robust of these surveys (that is, those using random samples and diagnostic interviews) showed average prevalence estimates of 15.4% (30 studies) for PTSD and 17.3% (26 studies) for depression [5].”
BackgroundInfluential
Asylum Seekers, Violence and Health: A Systematic Review of Research in High-Income Host Countries
Kalt, A., Hossain, M., Kiss, L., & Zimmerman, C. (2013) · American Journal of Public Health · doi:10.2105/ajph.2012.301136 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Resilience and acculturation among unaccompanied refugee minors
Keleş, S., Friborg, O., Idsøe, T., Sirin, S. R., & Oppedal, B. (2016) · International Journal of Behavioral Development · doi:10.1177/0165025416658136 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
“The long-lasting impact of premigration traumatic stressors has been confirmed in other studies of regular refugee populations and of unaccompanied minors (e.g. Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011).”
BackgroundResult
Posttraumatic stress disorder and emotion dysregulation among Syrian refugee children and adolescents resettled in Lebanon and Jordan
Khamis, V. (2019) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.12.013 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Lives on hold: A qualitative study of young refugees’ resilience strategies
Sleijpen, M., Mooren, T. T. M., Kleber, R. J., & Boeije, H. (2017) · Childhood · doi:10.1177/0907568217690031 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
“Indeed, several studies have shown that young refugees are at increased risk for a range of psychological problems, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression (Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011; Fazel et al., 2005).”
Background
Mental health and associated stress factors in accompanied and unaccompanied refugee minors resettled in Germany: a cross-sectional study
Müller, L. R. F., Büter, K. P., Rosner, R., & Unterhitzenberger, J. (2019) · Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health · doi:10.1186/s13034-019-0268-1 · Cited by 136 · see citing works
Immigrant Trauma and Mental Health Outcomes Among Latino Youth
Cleary, S. D., Snead, R., Dietz-Chavez, D., Rivera, I. M., & Edberg, M. C. (2017) · Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health · doi:10.1007/s10903-017-0673-6 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
“Some studies find a higher risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, conduct disorder, and substance use, while results from other studies indicate no difference between immigrant adolescents and their US born peers [3, 8, 12, 27].”
Prevalence of Psychiatric Disorders Among Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Adolescents in Norway
Jakobsen, M., Demott, M. A. M., & Heir, T. (2014) · Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health · doi:10.2174/1745017901410010053 · Cited by 128 · see citing works
“Refugee adolescents are known to encounter numerous risk factors that can cause psychological distress, including exposure to violence, and multiple losses [3-5].”
Effectiveness of a brief group behavioral intervention for common mental disorders in Syrian refugees in Jordan: a randomized controlled trial
Bryant, R. A., Bawaneh, A., Awwad, M., Al-Hayek, H., Giardinelli, L., Whitney, C., Jordans, M. J. D., Cuijpers, P., Sijbrandij, M., Ventevogel, P., et al. (2022) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003949 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
PTSD in asylum-seeking male adolescents from Afghanistan
Bronstein, I., Montgomery, P., & Dobrowolski, S. (2012) · Journal of Traumatic Stress · doi:10.1002/jts.21740 · Cited by 121 · see citing works
Bouncing forward of young refugees: a perspective on resilience research directions
Sleijpen, M., ter Heide, F. J. J., Mooren, T. T. M., Boeije, H., & Kleber, R. J. (2013) · European Journal of Psychotraumatology · doi:10.3402/ejpt.v4i0.20124 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
“30% chance of developing depression (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011).”
Ethnic inequalities in the incidence of diagnosis of severe mental illness in England: a systematic review and new meta-analyses for non-affective and affective psychoses
Halvorsrud, K., Nazroo, J. Y., Otis, M., Hajdukova, E. B., & Bhui, K. S. (2019) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-019-01758-y · Cited by 110 · see citing works
Emotional and behavioural problems amongst Afghan unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: results from a large-scale cross-sectional study
Bronstein, I., Montgomery, P., & Ott, E. (2013) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-012-0344-z · Cited by 107 · see citing works
“Indeed, the literature concerning UASC indicates high levels of psychological distress in the form of emotional and behavioural problems and PTSD [8].”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Examining the psychological well‐being of refugee children and the role of friendship and bullying
Samara, M. M., Asam, A. E., Khadaroo, A., & Hammuda, S. (2019) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjep.12282 · Cited by 113 · see citing works
Health status and disease burden of unaccompanied asylum‐seeking adolescents in Bielefeld, Germany: cross‐sectional pilot study
Marquardt, L., Krämer, A., Fischer, F., & Prüfer-Krämer, L. M. (2015) · Tropical Medicine & International Health · doi:10.1111/tmi.12649 · Cited by 99 · see citing works
“The finding of higher rates of poor mental health status amongst female UASA compared to male confirms previous studies, which found significantly more females to be affected by PTSD, depressive disorders and internalising behaviour [10, 36].”
BackgroundResult
Psychological Antecedents of Refugee Integration (PARI)
Echterhoff, G., Hellmann, J. H., Back, M. D., Kärtner, J., Nexhmedin Morina, B., & Hertel, G. (2020) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691619898838 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
“These threats can cause various emotional problems, including anxiety (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Fazel, Reed, Panter-Brick, & Stein, 2012; Lustig et al., 2004), feelings of loneliness and isolation (Gorst-Unsworth & Goldenberg, 1998; Miller et al., 2002), loss of control and experiences of…”
Background
Crossing borders: a systematic review identifying potential mechanisms of intergenerational trauma transmission in asylum-seeking and refugee families
Flanagan, N., Travers, A., Vallières, F., Hansen, M., Halpin, R., Sheaf, G., Rottmann, N., & Johnsen, A. T. (2020) · European Journal of Psychotraumatology · doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1790283 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
“…problems (Bean et al., 2007; Nielsen, Nørredam, Christensen, Obel, & Krasnik, 2007; Reijneveld, de Boer, Bean, & Korfker, 2005), with age, gender and country of origin being reported as holding differential predictive validity for trauma-based psychological distress (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011).”
Background
The impact of detention on the social–emotional wellbeing of children seeking asylum: a comparison with community-based children
Zwi, K. J., Mares, S. P., Nathanson, D., Tay, A. K., & Silove, D. M. (2017) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-017-1082-z · Cited by 98 · see citing works
Depression among unaccompanied minor refugees: the relative contribution of general and acculturation-specific daily hassles
Keleş, S., Friborg, O., Idsøe, T., Sirin, S. R., & Oppedal, B. (2015) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2015.1065310 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
“In particular, the symptom levels of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression remain disturbingly high (Bronstein and Montgomery 2011; © 2015 Taylor & Francis CONTACT Serap Keles serap.keles@fhi.no Derluyn, Mels, and Broekaert 2009; Oppedal and Idsøe 2015).”
Background
Effectiveness of a trauma‐focused group intervention for young refugees: a randomized controlled trial
Pfeiffer, E., Sachser, C., Rohlmann, F., & Goldbeck, L. (2018) · Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry · doi:10.1111/jcpp.12908 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
The mental health and psychological well-being of refugee children and young people: an exploration of risk, resilience and protective factors
Mohamed, S., & Thomas, M. (2017) · Educational Psychology in Practice · doi:10.1080/02667363.2017.1300769 · Cited by 90 · see citing works
“Refugee children may experience what is termed the “cumulative stress” of forced migration (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011) with the compounding stressors of childhood and the extraordinary and traumatic experiences of displacement.”
Background
A systematic review of risk and protective factors of mental health in unaccompanied minor refugees
Hoehne, E., van der Meer, A. S., Kamp‐Becker, I., & Christiansen, H. (2020) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-020-01678-2 · Cited by 88 · see citing works
Psychiatric symptoms and disorders among Yazidi children and adolescents immediately after forced migration following ISIS attacks
Çeri, V., Özlü-Erkilic, Z., Özer, Ü., Yalcin, M., Popow, C., & Akkaya-Kalayci, T. (2016) · Neuropsychiatrie · doi:10.1007/s40211-016-0195-9 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
School-based programs for Supporting the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of adolescent forced migrants in high-income countries: A scoping review
Bennouna, C., Khauli, N., Basir, M., Allaf, C., Wessells, M., & Stark, L. (2019) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112558 · Cited by 86 · see citing works
Asylum-seeking children’s experiences of detention in Canada: A qualitative study.
Kronick, R., Rousseau, C., & Cleveland, J. (2015) · American Journal of Orthopsychiatry · doi:10.1037/ort0000061 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
An evaluation of a common elements treatment approach for youth in Somali refugee camps
Murray, L. K., Hall, B. J., Dorsey, S., Ugueto, A. M., Puffer, E. S., Sim, A. L., Ismael, A.-S., Bass, J., Akiba, C. F., Lucid, L., et al. (2018) · Cambridge Prisms Global Mental Health · doi:10.1017/gmh.2018.7 · Cited by 84 · see citing works
“…in these contexts; however, most studies find higher rates of mental health problems among displaced children compared with non-displaced populations (Goldstein et al., 1997; Paardekooper et al., 1999; Tousignant et al., 1999; Morgos et al., 2008; Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Reed et al., 2012).”
Background
Educational, developmental and psychological outcomes of resettled refugee children in Western A ustralia: A review of S chool of S pecial E ducational N eeds: M edical and M ental H ealth input
Mace, A. O., Mulheron, S., Jones, C., & Cherian, S. (2014) · Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health · doi:10.1111/jpc.12674 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Social Functioning in Individuals With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review
Scoglio, A. A. J., Reilly, E. D., Girouard, C. M., Quigley, K. S., Carnes, S., & Kelly, M. M. (2020) · Trauma Violence & Abuse · doi:10.1177/1524838020946800 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
“We also excluded pediatric samples because developmental differences may influence how PTSD presents and because there are very different experiences of social functioning in children compared to adults (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Murray et al., 2010).”
Refugee children’s sandplay narratives in immigration detention in Canada
Kronick, R., Rousseau, C., & Cleveland, J. (2017) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-017-1012-0 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
The effect of acculturation and discrimination on mental health symptoms and risk behaviors among adolescent migrants in Israel.
Nakash, O., Nagar, M., Shoshani, A., Zubida, H., & Harper, R. A. (2012) · Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0027659 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
“…Western host countries found that between 19 and 54% of the children and adolescents scored above the clinical cutoff for post traumatic stress disorder, significantly higher than the rates recorded among youth in the general population in the respective countries (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011).”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Family-Based Mental Health Promotion for Somali Bantu and Bhutanese Refugees: Feasibility and Acceptability Trial
Betancourt, T. S., Berent, J. M., Freeman, J. A., Frounfelker, R. L., Brennan, R. T., Abdi, S. M., Maalim, A., Abdi, A., Mishra, T., Gautam, B., et al. (2019) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.08.023 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“Refugee youth have poorer mental health compared with the general population [3,4].”
Advances in Systemic Trauma Theory: Traumatogenic Dynamics and Consequences of Backlash as a Multi-Systemic Trauma on Iraqi Refugee Muslim Adolescents
Kira, I. A., Lewandowski, L., Chiodo, L. M., & Ibrahim, A. (2014) · Psychology · doi:10.4236/psych.2014.55050 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“Internalizing and externalizing disorders are other co-morbid trans-diagnostics that have been more evident in child refugees (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011).”
Background
Adjustment of refugee children and adolescents in Australia: outcomes from wave three of the Building a New Life in Australia study
Lau, W., Silove, D. M., Edwards, B., Forbes, D., Bryant, R. A., McFARLANE, A. C., Hadži-Pavlović, D., Steel, Z., Nickerson, A., Hooff, M. V., et al. (2018) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-018-1124-5 · Cited by 71 · see citing works
“Systematic reviews of epidemiological studies in high-income countries estimate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression to be between 19% and 54%, 33% and 50%, and 3% and 30%, respectively, among young refugees [2].”
Background
“We would never forget who we are”: resettlement, cultural negotiation, and family relationships among Somali Bantu refugees
Frounfelker, R. L., Assefa, M. T., Smith, E., Hussein, A., & Betancourt, T. S. (2017) · European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1007/s00787-017-0991-1 · Cited by 69 · see citing works
“These experiences put refugee youth at elevated risk of psychiatric disorders compared to youth in the general population [7].”
Background
Family-based mental health interventions for refugees across the migration continuum: A systematic review
Bunn, M., Zolman, N., Smith, C. P., Khanna, D., Hanneke, R., Betancourt, T. S., & Weine, S. M. (2022) · SSM - Mental Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100153 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
“Several systematic reviews have identi ﬁ ed high rates of depression, anxiety and PTSD among refugee adults and children in humanitarian settings and in resettlement contexts (Bogic et al., 2015; Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Kien et al., 2018; Nesterko et al., 2020).”
Background
Violence Exposure and Mental Health Among Resettled Refugees: A Systematic Review
Scoglio, A. A. J., & Salhi, C. (2020) · Trauma Violence & Abuse · doi:10.1177/1524838020915584 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
“While there have been reviews on the effect of stress and psychological trauma on resettled refugees’ mental health (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Ehntholt & Yule, 2006; Fazel et al., 2012; Lustig et al., 2004), there has been no review on the specific effects of violence to the authors’ knowledge.”
Background
Improving the provision of services to young people from refugee backgrounds with comorbid mental health and substance use problems: addressing the barriers
Posselt, M., McDonald, K., Procter, N. G., de Crespigny, C., & Galletly, C. A. (2017) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4186-y · Cited by 68 · see citing works
“Prevalence studies concerning refugee young people have reported that rates of PTSD vary from 19 to 54% and rates of depression vary from 3 to 30% [20].”
Background
Mental Health Outcomes of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors: a Rapid Review of Recent Research
Bamford, J., Fletcher, M., & Leavey, G. (2021) · Current Psychiatry Reports · doi:10.1007/s11920-021-01262-8 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Gender differences in the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors in Europe: a systematic review
Mohwinkel, L.-M., Nowak, A. C., Kasper, A., & Razum, O. (2018) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022389 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
“However, URM are forced to cope with these stressors at a young age and mostly without parental support.(8) Their high vulnerability is further reflected in study results showing that a high number of URM experience traumatic events, such as incidents of physical and sexual violence strengths and limitations of this s…”
Result
Experiences of Discrimination and Everyday Racism Among Children and Adolescents With an Immigrant Background – Results of a Systematic Literature Review on the Impact of Discrimination on the Developmental Outcomes of Minors Worldwide
Metzner, F., Adedeji, A., Wichmann, M. L.-Y., Zaheer, Z., Schneider, L., Schlachzig, L., Richters, J., Heumann-Schoop, S., & Mays, D. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.805941 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
“Similarly, other reviews have explored the association between perceived racial discrimination and mental health in different predefined settings (Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011; Borsch et al., 2019; Haft et al., 2021).”
Background
Treating children and adolescents with multiple traumas: A randomized clinical trial of narrative exposure therapy
Peltonen, K., & Kangaslampi, S. (2019) · European Journal of Psychotraumatology · doi:10.1080/20008198.2018.1558708 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“Findings on the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among refugee children have varied between 19% and 54% (for a review, see Bornstein & Montgomery, 2011).”
The synergy of the refugee crisis and the financial crisis in Greece: Impact on mental health
Anagnostopoulos, D., Giannakopoulos, G., & Christodoulou, G. N. (2017) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0020764017700444 · Cited by 61 · see citing works
“Moreover, it has been shown that refugees experience higher rates of psychiatric disorders than other populations with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety disorders to be the most common psychiatric disorders among war refugees (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Steel et al., 2009).”
Background
The long-term financial and psychological resettlement outcomes of pre-migration trauma and post-settlement difficulties in resettled refugees
O'Donnell, A. W., Stuart, J., & O’Donnell, K. J. (2020) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113246 · Cited by 66 · see citing works
Resilience and Mental Health Among Syrian Refugee Children in Jordan
Dehnel, R., Dalky, H. F., Sudarsan, S., & Al‐Delaimy, W. K. (2021) · Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health · doi:10.1007/s10903-021-01180-0 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
The psychological effects of forced family separation on asylum-seeking children and parents at the US-Mexico border: A qualitative analysis of medico-legal documents
Hampton, K., Raker, E., Habbach, H., Deda, L. C., Heisler, M., & Mishori, R. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0259576 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
“In addition, there is an increased risk of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and psychosis, and of detrimental coping behaviors such as smoking and use of alcohol or drugs [18, 19, 31, 32].”
What is the Impact of Placement Type on Educational and Health Outcomes of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors? A Systematic Review of the Evidence
O'Higgins, A., Ott, E., & Shea, M. (2018) · Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review · doi:10.1007/s10567-018-0256-7 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
“As a result, URM suffers from disproportionately higher levels of mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety, than children who migrate with their parents or peers who are not migrants (Bronstein and Montgomery 2011; Fazel and Stein 2002; Fazel et al.”
BackgroundInfluential
1-year follow-up of the mental health and stress factors in asylum-seeking children and adolescents resettled in Germany
Müller, L. R. F., Gössmann, K., Hartmann, F., Büter, K. P., Rosner, R., & Unterhitzenberger, J. (2019) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7263-6 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
The family crisis migration stress framework: A framework to understand the mental health effects of crisis migration on children and families caused by disasters
Vos, S. R., Clark‐Ginsberg, A., Puente-Duran, S. A., Salas‐Wright, C. P., Duque, M., Herrera, I. C., Maldonado‐Molina, M. M., Castillo, M. N., Lee, T. K., García, M. F., et al. (2021) · New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development · doi:10.1002/cad.20397 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
The Efficacy of a Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for War-Affected Young Migrants Living in Australia: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial
Ooi, C. S., Rooney, R. M., Roberts, C. M., Kane, R. T., Wright, B. R., & Chatzisarantis, N. L. D. (2016) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01641 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
The Psychological Problems of North Korean Adolescent Refugees Living in South Korea
Lee, Y. M., Shin, O. J., & Lim, M. H. (2012) · Psychiatry Investigation · doi:10.4306/pi.2012.9.3.217 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Immigration-related mental health disorders in refugees 5–18 years old living in Turkey
Sapmaz, Ş. Y., Tanrıverdi, B. Ü., Öztürk, M., Gözaçanlar, Ö., Ülker, G. Y., & Özkan, Y. (2017) · Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment · doi:10.2147/ndt.s150592 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
“This study showed that post-traumatic stress-disorder rates were 19%–54%, while depression was 3%–30% in refugee children; other emotional and behavioral problems also existed within the sample.(8) Learning disorders, disruptions in school functioning, addiction, defiance, aggression, hyperactivity, feeding and sleepi…”
Frequent relocations between asylum-seeker centres are associated with mental distress in asylum-seeking children: a longitudinal medical record study
Goosen, S., Stronks, K., & Kunst, A. E. (2013) · International Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/ije/dyt233 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Barriers to the inclusion of refugee and asylum-seeking children in schools in England
McIntyre, J., & Hall, C. (2018) · Educational Review · doi:10.1080/00131911.2018.1544115 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Establishing the feasibility of assessing the mental health of children displaced by the Syrian conflict
Cartwright, K. L., El‐Khani, A., Subryan, A., & Calam, R. M. (2015) · Cambridge Prisms Global Mental Health · doi:10.1017/gmh.2015.3 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“(Fazel & Stein, 2002; Quota et al. 2003; Lustig et al. 2004; Fazel et al. 2005; Attanayake et al. 2009; Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Dimitry, 2011) with refugee children living in camps as opposed to urban or rural areas more likely to suffer (Khamis, 2005).”
Background
Trauma and resilient functioning among Syrian refugee children
Yaylaci, F. T. (2018) · Development and Psychopathology · doi:10.1017/s0954579418001293 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“These children miss a very important protective factor, presence of parents, and this renders them vulnerable to traumatic experiences, abuse, and exploitation (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Derluyn & Broekaert, 2008; Missing Children Europe, 2017).”
Background
The Longitudinal Relation between Daily Hassles and Depressive Symptoms among Unaccompanied Refugees in Norway
Keleş, S., Idsøe, T., Friborg, O., Sirin, S. R., & Oppedal, B. (2016) · Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology · doi:10.1007/s10802-016-0251-8 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“In particular, the symptom levels of post-traumatic stress disorder and of depression remain high (Bronstein and Montgomery 2011; Derluyn et al. 2009).”
Internalizing and externalizing symptoms among unaccompanied refugee and Italian adolescents
Thommessen, S. A. O., Laghi, F., Cerrone, C., Baiocco, R., & Todd, B. K. (2012) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.10.007 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
“…were not incorporated or explored in the present study, shifting the predominant focus from symptoms only, to resilience and coping mechanisms in unaccompanied refugee children and adolescents is an important task for future research (Betancourt & Khan, 2008; Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011).”
Bibliometric analysis of medicine – related publications on refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced people: 2000 – 2015
Sweileh, W. M. (2017) · BMC International Health and Human Rights · doi:10.1186/s12914-017-0116-4 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Health-related quality of life in refugee youth and the mediating role of mental distress and post-migration stressors
Dangmann, C. R., Solberg, Ø., & Andersen, P. N. (2021) · Quality of Life Research · doi:10.1007/s11136-021-02811-7 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Risk and Protective Factors and Correlates for Posttraumatic Stress and Its Natural History in Forcibly Displaced Children
Tam, S. Y., Houlihan, S., & Meléndez‐Torres, G. J. (2015) · Trauma Violence & Abuse · doi:10.1177/1524838015622437 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
“…small and unrepresentative samples, and a narrow focus on individual level rather than family- or community-level data (Betancourt et al., 2013; Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Panter-Brick, Goodman, Tol, & Eggerman, 2011; PanterBrick, Grimon, & Eggerman, 2014; Reed, Fazel, Jones, Panter-Brick,…”
Background
Constructing early childhood services as culturally credible trauma-recovery environments: participatory barriers and enablers for refugee families
Lamb, C. (2019) · European Early Childhood Education Research Journal · doi:10.1080/1350293x.2020.1707368 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
“Trauma inhibits child development (Kaplan et al. 2016; Zilberstein 2014), frequently leading to psychological, emotional and behavioural problems (Bronstein and Montgomery 2011).”
Background
Parent Support Programmes for Families Who are Immigrants: A Scoping Review
Hamari, L., Konttila, J., Merikukka, M., Tuomikoski, A., Kouvonen, P., & Kurki, M. (2021) · Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health · doi:10.1007/s10903-021-01181-z · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Traumatic Events Exposure and Psychological Trauma in Children Victims of War in the Gaza Strip
Manzanero, A. L., Crespo, M., Barón, S., Scott, T., El‐Astal, S., & Hemaid, F. (2017) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260517742911 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
“Bronstein and Montgomery (2011) showed percentages between 19% and 54% for PTSD and between 3% and 30% for depression.”
Analysis of care and education pathways of refugee and asylum‐seeking children in care in England: Implications for social work
O’Higgins, A. (2018) · International Journal of Social Welfare · doi:10.1111/ijsw.12324 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Protecting Asylum Seeking Children on the Move
Kohli, R. K. S. (2014) · Revue européenne de migrations internationales · doi:10.4000/remi.6768 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Trauma-Informed Psychoeducation for Somali Refugee Youth in Urban Kenya: Effects on PTSD and Psychosocial Outcomes
Im, H., Jettner, J. F., Warsame, A. H., Isse, M. M., Khoury, D. Y., & Ross, A. I. (2018) · Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma · doi:10.1007/s40653-017-0200-x · Cited by 54 · see citing works
“In another systematic review based on 3,003 refugee children from over 40 countries (Bronstein and Montgomery 2011), the prevalence of CMD was 19 to 54% for PTSD and 3 to 30% for depression.”
Background
Knowledge of the Unknown Child: A Systematic Review of the Elements of the Best Interests of the Child Assessment for Recently Arrived Refugee Children
Os, E., Kalverboer, M., Zijlstra, E. A., Post, W. J., & Knorth, E. J. (2016) · Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review · doi:10.1007/s10567-016-0209-y · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“In two systematic reviews of the mental health of refugee children, the following risk factors—related to the pre- or during migration period—were identified: exposure to violence, personal injury, pre-existing vulnerability (cumulative), family experience of adverse events, unaccompanied entry and separation from par…”
BackgroundResultInfluential
Epidemiology of violence against children in migration: A systematic literature review
Jud, A., Pfeiffer, E., & Jarczok, M. N. (2020) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104634 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Children at risk: A nation-wide, cross-sectional study examining post-traumatic stress symptoms in refugee minors from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan resettled in Sweden between 2014 and 2018
Solberg, Ø., Nissen, A., Vaez, M., Cauley, P., Eriksson, A.-K., & Saboonchi, F. (2020) · Conflict and Health · doi:10.1186/s13031-020-00311-y · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Schools’ and teachers’ roles and challenges in supporting the mental wellbeing of refugee youths: a qualitative study with Swedish teachers
McDiarmid, S., Durbeej, N., Sarkadi, A., & Osman, F. (2021) · International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1080/17482631.2021.2007568 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
“…depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder have all been found to be higher among refugee youths than youths in the general population (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Fazel et al., 2005; Kandemir et al., 2018; Khamis, 2019; Kien et al., 2019; Salari et al., 2017; Scherer et al., 2020)…”
Background
Making other dreams: The impact of migration on the psychosocial wellbeing of Albanian-origin children and young people upon their families’ return to Albania
Vathi, Z., & Duci, V. (2015) · Childhood · doi:10.1177/0907568214566078 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“Refugee children feature prominently in this body of literature (Almqvist and Broberg, 1999; Bronstein and Montgomery, 2011).”
Background
Stronger together: Community resilience and Somali Bantu refugees.
Frounfelker, R. L., Tahir, S. A., Abdi, A., & Betancourt, T. S. (2019) · Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology · doi:10.1037/cdp0000286 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“…with exposure to a wide range of traumatic events and adversities, such as economic insecurity, discrimination, and language barriers, that negatively influence psychosocial functioning (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Fazel & Stein, 2002; Fazel, Wheeler & Danesh, 2005; Henley & Robinson, 2011).”
Background
Children and Adolescents in Conflict and Displacement
Bennouna, C., Stark, L., & Wessells, M. (2020) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-45278-0_2 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Family therapy sessions with refugee families; a qualitative study
Björn, G. J., Gustafsson, P. A., Sydsjö, G., & Berterö, C. (2013) · Conflict and Health · doi:10.1186/1752-1505-7-7 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
“A review of 22 studies of refugee children found substantial variation in the definitions used and measurements made of the children’s problems and reported levels of post-traumatic stress disorder ranging from 19 to 54% [11].”
Background
A Scoping Review of the Health of African Immigrant and Refugee Children
Salami, B. O., Sánchez, H. F., Fouché, C., Evans, C., Sibeko, L. N., Tulli-Shah, M., Bulaong, A., Kwankye, S. O., Ani–Amponsah, M., Okeke‐Ihejirika, P., et al. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18073514 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
“Despite the fact that these children’s health should be protected as a human right, overwhelming evidence from systematic reviews indicates refugee children experience poor mental health status, especially post-traumatic stress [17–19].”
Review of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire translated into languages spoken by children and adolescents of refugee background
Stolk, Y., Kaplan, I., & Szwarc, J. (2017) · International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research · doi:10.1002/mpr.1568 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
“The psychological sequelae of these cumulative traumas, combined with resettlement stressors may contribute to complex developmental and mental health needs (Bronstein & Montgomery, 2011; Henley & Robinson, 2011; Kaplan, 2013).”
Ecologies of care: mental health and psychosocial support for war-affected youth in the U.S.
Bennouna, C., Ocampo, M. G., Cohen, F., Basir, M., Allaf, C., Wessells, M., & Stark, L. (2019) · Conflict and Health · doi:10.1186/s13031-019-0233-x · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Mental health and drug and alcohol comorbidity in young people of refugee background: a review of the literature
Posselt, M., Galletly, C. A., de Crespigny, C., & Procter, N. G. (2013) · Mental Health and Substance Use · doi:10.1080/17523281.2013.772914 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Unaccompanied minors in the Netherlands and the care facility in which they flourish best
Kalverboer, M., Zijlstra, E. A., van Os, C., Zevulun, D., ten Brummelaar, M., & Beltman, D. (2016) · Child & Family Social Work · doi:10.1111/cfs.12272 · Cited by 39 · see citing works

Mental health status of refugee children
Lemonjava, N., Antia, K., Lobjanidze, M., & Lobjanidze, T. (2020) · European Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.752 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
The effectiveness of therapeutic interventions on psychological distress in refugee children: A systematic review
Cowling, M. M., & Anderson, J. (2023) · Journal of Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1002/jclp.23479 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Mental health, risk and resilience among refugee families in Europe
Gewirtz, A. H., Muldrew, L., & Sigmarsdóttir, M. (2022) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101428 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Systematic Review and Meta-analysis: The Prevalence of Mental Illness in Child and Adolescent Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Blackmore, R., Gray, K. M., Boyle, J. A., Fazel, M. S., Ranasinha, S., Fitzgerald, G., Misso, M. L., & Gibson‐Helm, M. E. (2019) · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2019.11.011 · Cited by 340 · see citing works
Mental health in refugee children and youth
Zissi, A. (2018) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9780429432415-14 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

Authors: Bronstein, I., & Montgomery, P.
Affiliations: University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author: Bronstein, Israel
ORCID: Bronstein, Israel
Montgomery, Paul
Venue: Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published: 2011-03
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
Pages: 44-56
ISSN: 1096-4037 (ISSN-L)
1573-2827
DOI: 10.1007/s10567-010-0081-0
OpenAlex: W2099969597
Cited by: 634
References: 83
Citations by year: 2026: 26 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 44 · 2023: 60 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 65 · 2020: 128 · 2019: 50 · 2018: 35 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 35 · 2015: 31 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 10
FWCI: 1.21
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations: Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
University of Birmingham Research Portal (University of Birmingham) (submittedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Migration, Health and Trauma
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Migration and Exile Studies
Social Sciences › Education › Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees
Keywords: refugee children, psychological distress, mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, emotional and behavioral problems, asylum seekers, pre-migration trauma, post-migration stressors, Western countries
MeSH terms: Age Factors, Child, Depression, Female, Humans, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Refugees, Sex Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress, Psychological, Resilience, Psychological

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review

Psychological distress in refugee children: a systematic review

Abstract

Integrity signals

Claims the paper makes

Claims other papers make about this one

Cites

Cited by

Related

Record

About these checks