Mechanisms Explaining the Relationship Between Maternal Torture Exposure and Youth Adjustment In Resettled Refugees: A Pilot Examination of Generational Trauma Through Moderated Mediation

Hoffman, Sarah J.; Vukovich, Maria M.; Gewirtz, Abigail H.; Fulkerson, Jayne A.; Robertson, Cheryl; Gaugler, Joseph E.

doi:10.1007/s10903-020-01052-z

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The majority of studies that investigated the psychological adjustment of refugees adopted a pathological paradigm. Indeed, 18 articles considered this kind of adjustment as the mere absence of mental health disorders [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 ], in particular, anxiety and depression, while 9 articles specifically addressed the adjustment disorder as a syndrome occurring after an episode of acute stress [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining Adjustment to Address the Missing Link between Refugees and Their Resettlement Communities

Modesti

Talamo

2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show that, in 2020, among 82.4 million refugees, only 251,000 returned to their home countries, indicating the desire for refugees to stay, for the long-term, in their new homelands. The paper contributes to the scientific–psychological debate on the social representation of refugee populations, by studying this population, not simply as “foreigners”, traumatized and resourceless people, but rather focusing on the factors that lead to their positive adjustments within local communities. Method: a scoping review was carried out to explore the phenomenon of adjustment (RQ1) and to identify the factors that foster adjustment among refugees and their resettlement communities (RQ2). A research protocol and eligibility criteria were defined prior to conducting the literature research through the Scopus database. Afterwards, data charting and items were conducted to organize the results. Results: a process of data mapping outlined three dimensions of adjustment—psychological, social, and scholastic. In addition, six macro factors emerged that ease refugee adjustments—context characteristics, time, social integration markers, acculturation, social support, and psychological capital. Results show that adjustment is the result of the inter-relations among sociological and psychological factors. Conclusions: the lack of studies addressing the inner resources of refugees and community participation confirms that research in this field needs a change of paradigm, to identify the resources that refugees use to adjust to their new communities and promote their development.

show abstract

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Defining Adjustment to Address the Missing Link between Refugees and Their Resettlement Communities

Modesti

Talamo

2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Caregiver. We have previously described the attributes of assessments used with maternal caregivers, with the exception of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES IV) instrument detailed here (Hoffman et al, 2020). Data collected with paternal caregivers were identical to those collected with maternal caregivers.…”

Section: Quantitative Assessmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Family systems research that examines the direct and indirect relationships between caregiver trauma and health, family functioning, and youth adjustment within refugee families with adolescent youth is emerging. In our previous work, we identified complex interactions among maternal caregiver exposure to war trauma and torture, maternal mental and physical health, youth adjustment, and family functioning (Hoffman et al, 2020). We characterized patterns of physiological responses to trauma in caregivers that demonstrated the unique ways that trauma is stored and expressed in the body and is possibly potentiated across generations (Hoffman et al, 2021).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Parent Torture and Family Functioning on Youth Adjustment in War-Affected Families: A Path Analysis Describing Intergenerational Trauma and the Family System

et al. 2023

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The direct exposure to physical or psychological trauma from torture or war leads to well-documented individual health consequences. Less understood are the inclusive and intergenerational effects of war trauma on family systems and youth adjustment. The purpose was to examine mechanisms in war-affected families that explained the significant emotional and behavioral consequences of intergenerational trauma in youth through the use of multiple methods. Quantitative assessments of maternal and paternal caregivers and youth characterized associations between parent torture, parent mental health distress, parent physical health problems, family functioning, and youth adjustment. Narrative statements further contextualized processes through which the trauma of a parent impacted youth and family systems. The research was conducted in partnership with local, refugee-serving community-based organizations. The study sample included parents and youth in 96 Karen families, originating from Burma in Southeast Asia, who had been resettled to the United States through the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. Path analysis results indicated that parent torture (β = −0.173) had statistically significant negative direct effects on youth adjustment. Parent torture had a negative indirect effect on youth adjustment through the mental health (β = −0.345) and physical health problems of parents (β = −0.305), and youth gender (β = 0.126) and trauma exposure of youth (β = −0.048). Family functioning type demonstrated a positive direct effect on youth adjustment (β = 0.449). Family type had an indirect effect on youth adjustment through youth gender (β = 0.142), youth trauma exposure (β = −0.165), parent physical health problems (β = −0.202), and parent mental health (β = 0.509). The current study developed and tested the first model of intergenerational trauma’s effects on the adjustment of Karen refugee youth. Results emphasize that individual recovery from torture must be accompanied by adjunct interventions focused on family systems and youth adjustment, to holistically address intergenerational sequala of trauma.

show abstract

“…These cycles of trauma continue even past resettlement and down generational lines. Parental trauma has been associated with higher levels of mental health disorders and higher risks of abuse and neglect among children [ 56 , 58 , 59 •]. Some studies have looked at the mediating roles of family functioning, maladaptive parenting, accumulation of family stressors, and severity of parental trauma, among others [ 60 , 61 •].…”

Section: Post-migration Traumamentioning

confidence: 99%

Recognizing and Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Violence Among Resettled Refugees

2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mechanisms Explaining the Relationship Between Maternal Torture Exposure and Youth Adjustment In Resettled Refugees: A Pilot Examination of Generational Trauma Through Moderated Mediation

Cited by 11 publications

References 26 publications

Defining Adjustment to Address the Missing Link between Refugees and Their Resettlement Communities

Defining Adjustment to Address the Missing Link between Refugees and Their Resettlement Communities

The Impact of Parent Torture and Family Functioning on Youth Adjustment in War-Affected Families: A Path Analysis Describing Intergenerational Trauma and the Family System

Recognizing and Breaking the Cycle of Trauma and Violence Among Resettled Refugees

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About