Psychosocial Indicators of Wellbeing for Resettled Refugee Children and Youth: Conceptual and Developmental Directions

Abstract

In this article we present a framework for the development of psychosocial indicators of wellbeing for refugee children and young people which can be used to assess outcomes of interventions in the settlement context. While some experiences of refugee children and young people overlap with the general population of children and young people, many of their experiences are distinctive because of their exposure to violence prior to arrival and a range of stressors upon resettlement. Drawing on research conducted into outcome indicators at the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture, several indicator domains are presented that have sensitivity and specificity for resettled refugee children and young people. The domains presented are distinctive and multifaceted. They encompass the perspectives of young people, parents, and service providers. They incorporate individual and relational aspects, subjective emotional states and observable behaviours. They include signs and symptoms of disturbances to psychological wellbeing, family wellbeing, connections to social groups and community, and positive expressions of wellbeing. They have been developed with an ecological context in mind and thus take into account a range of key contextual mediating variables.Refugee children face far greater dangers to their safety and well being than the average child. The sudden and violent onset of emergencies, the disruption of families and community structures as well as the acute shortage of resources with which most refugees are confronted, deeply affect the physical and psychological well being of refugee children.

Computer-Assisted Expressions of the Perspectives of Refugee Children in Resettlement

“…Since developmental pathways are likely to vary, it is important to know what relations and social structures are in place in the environment, and how they are interpreted and used by children and young people. The Valibhoy et al (2017) and McFarlane, Kaplan, and Lawrence (2011) studies and recent work by Escot et al (2016) are reminders that refugee children's voices and choices are a critical aspect of the dynamics of their adjustments and changes.…”

“…If service delivery and program development are to alleviate disadvantage and support development, the voices of refugee children need to be heard. In providing trauma-related services including counselling and social advocacy, the Victorian Foundation for the Survivors of Torture (VFST) recognizes the value of asking clients about their perceived contextual constraints and about the specific situations where they feel better and some of their trauma-related feelings are relieved (Kaplan, 2013;McFarlane et al, 2011;Valibhoy et al, 2017). Camfield et al (2009, p. 8) make a similar point about how cross-cultural research needs to reflect local definitions of social capital and "people's experiences and evaluations of their lives are shaped by their perception of their environment and themselves, in the context of what they value and aspire to."…”

“…We drew on practice-based expertise that reveals refugee children's worries about family, and recognition of some relationships and events that help their recovery (Kaplan, 2013;McFarlane et al, 2011). We used animations to develop the content of a typical refugee story in the CAI context.…”

Applying the ADAPT Psychosocial Model to War-Affected Children and Adolescents

“…However, when these feelings and behaviors persist, they can interfere with daily functioning. Reported feelings of sadness or depression (e.g., see Ajdukovic & Ajdukovic, 1998;Betancourt, Newnham, et al, 2012;Dyregrov et al, 2002;Heptinstall et al, 2004;McFarlane et al, 2011;Paardekooper, de Jong, & Hermanns, 1999;Sezibera, Van Broeck, & Philippot, 2009;Thabet, Abed, & Vostanis, 2004) and anxiety (e.g., see Allwood et al, 2002;Goldstein et al, 1997;Hadi & Llabre, 1998;Mollica, Poole, Son, Murray, & Tor, 1997;Papageorgiou et al, 1999;Punamäki, 1996;Thabet, Tawahina, El-Sarraj, & Vostanis, 2008;Werner, 2012) are common in studies of children exposed to war. While these feelings are understandable, their strength and pervasiveness may interfere with children's ability to heal and develop following trauma.…”

“…However, several other maladaptive responses are potentially linked with safety violations. Psychosomatic complaints (McFarlane et al, 2011;Paardekooper et al, 1999;Sezibera et al, 2009), guilt (Goldstein et al, 1997;McFarlane et al, 2011), neuroticism (Punamäki et al, 2001), underreporting of post-traumatic symptoms due to fear of stigma (Anstiss & Ziaian, 2010;Colucci, Minas, Szwarc, Paxton, & Guerra, 2012;Servan-Schreiber et al, 1998;Thabet & Vostanis, 2000), and developing an external locus of control (Kuterovac-Jagodic, 2003) are also described in groups of children following wartrauma. In total, these maladaptive responses likely contribute to adjustment difficulties for children and adolescents as they seek to begin new lives following war.…”