Refugee Children’s Social–Emotional Capacities: Links to Mental Health upon Resettlement and Buffering Effects on Pre-Migratory Adversity

Abstract

Refugee children who experience severe pre-migratory adversity often show varying levels of mental health upon resettlement. Thus, it is critical to identify the factors that explain which refugee children experience more vs. less healthy outcomes. The present study assessed child social–emotional capacities (i.e., emotion regulation, sympathy, optimism, and trust) as potential moderators of associations between child, parental, and familial pre-migratory adversities and child mental health (i.e., internalizing and externalizing symptoms) upon resettlement. Participants were N = 123 five- to 12-year-old Syrian refugee children and their mothers living in Canada. Children and mothers reported their pre-migratory adverse life experiences, and mothers reported their children’s current social–emotional capacities, internalizing symptoms, and externalizing symptoms. Greater familial (i.e., the sum of children’s and their mother’s) pre-migratory adversity was associated with higher child internalizing and externalizing symptoms upon resettlement. Higher emotion regulation and optimism were associated with lower internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and higher sympathy was associated with lower externalizing symptoms. In contrast, higher trust was associated with higher internalizing symptoms. Finally, higher child optimism buffered against the positive association between familial pre-migratory adversity and child internalizing symptoms. In sum, select social–emotional capacities may serve as potential protective factors that support mental health and buffer against the deleterious effects of pre-migratory adversity in refugee children.

Perspective of Immigrants on Personal and Family Integration in Brazilian Society

“…Experiencing immigration and family separation, especially when parents first travel to stabilize themselves, only to bring their children or other family members later, causes substantial damage to the family system 20 . In these cases, children experience two types of reorganization in their family: first, separation from their parents and the familiar environment to which they were used to; later, separation from their temporary caregivers, followed by the possibility of not seeing them anymore, especially since they are older and decide to remain in their country of origin, which generates conflicts and instabilities in their minds, and may even hinder their development 21 .…”

Perspectiva De Imigrantes Sobre a Integração Pessoal E Familiar Na Sociedade Brasileira

“…Vivenciar o processo da imigração e separação familiar, principalmente quando os pais viajam primeiro buscando se estabilizar, para só depois trazer seus filhos ou demais familiares, causa prejuízos substanciais ao sistema familiar 20 . Nesses casos, as crianças experienciam dois tipos de reorganização de sua família: primeiro, na separação de seus pais e do ambiente familiar a que estavam acostumadas; depois, na separação de seus cuidadores temporários, seguido da possibilidade de não os ver mais, especialmente por serem mais velhos e decidirem permanecer no país de origem, o que gera conflitos e instabilidades em suas mentes, podendo inclusive atrapalhar o seu desenvolvimento 21 .…”

Evaluating a Social-Emotional Training Program for Refugee Families and Service Providers: Pilot Study

“…Although much research in this area adopts a lens of risk, there are growing calls to better understand and nurture the unique strengths of refugees [ 8 , 9 ]. For example, growing work shows that strengths-based factors, such as social-emotional capacities and positive early relationships, can support refugee children’s mental health and buffer against the negative impacts of adversity [ 10 , 11 ]. In this study, we evaluate a pilot training program designed to help refugee caregivers’ and their service providers’ promote refugee children’s social-emotional capacities and mental health, as well as to nurture the mental health of refugee caregivers and service providers themselves.…”

“…Emotion regulation has also been identified as protective in the refugee context. For example, refugee youth who show better emotion regulation skills also tend to show better adjustment and mental health outcomes as indexed by lower internalizing, externalizing, and posttraumatic stress symptoms [ 11 , 32 ]. Therefore, nurturing and building upon refugee children’s emotion regulation skills may strengthen their capacity to cope amid various stressors and challenges.…”

“…Although empirical evidence examining other-oriented capacities in the refugee context is limited; there is an indication that empathy for others reflects a strength in this context. For example, Speidel et al [ 11 ] found that Syrian refugee youth aged 5-12 years with higher empathy for others also had lower externalizing symptoms. Furthermore, theory in the area of adversity and posttraumatic growth suggests that empathy for others may be a unique strength that characterizes resilient individuals who have experienced negative life events [ 36 , 37 ].…”