Mental health of displaced and refugee children resettled in low-income and middle-income countries: risk and protective factors

Ruth V Reed, Dr Mina Fazel, Lynne Jones, Prof Catherine Panter-Brick, and Prof Alan Stein

Children and adolescents who are forcibly displaced represent almost half the world's internally displaced and refugee populations. These children and adolescents were faced with many physical and mental challenges during displacement and endured long-term difficulties after arrival. Most children have traveled great distances, for weeks or even months, often separated from their parents and other family members. The children are also required to adapt to cultural differences, racial discrimination, exclusion, bullying, and poverty, resulting in a variety of problems for the children. 

This study involved a systematic review of individual, family, community and social risk and protective factors for the mental health of children and adolescents who were forcibly displaced to high-income countries. The article reviews data for displacement to low-income and middle-income settings and pulls together the main findings from reports to identify important issues and establish recommendations for future work. The authors draw attention to exposure to violence as a well-established risk factor for poor mental health, and also note the paucity of research into predictor variables other than those in the individual domain. The authors conclude with research and policy recommendations to guide the development and assessment of effective interventions.