Children's Emotional and Behavioral Response Following a Migration : A Scoping Review
Salazar Andrade, Alejandra (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicologia Bàsica, Evolutiva i de l'Educació)
Sala Roca, Josefina (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Teories de l'Educació i Pedagogia Social)
Rodríguez Pérez, Sara (Universidad de Oviedo)

Date:	2023
Abstract:	Background: Migration is a present and pressing phenomenon globally, climate change and political instability continue to rise, and increasingly, populations will be forced to relocate. Efficient strategies must be in place to aid the transition of vulnerable populations - such as children - and designed based on an understanding of their particular needs and risks.
Abstract:	Aim of the review: This article reviewed recent research regarding the mental health of migrant children identifying a wide array of common characteristics to their emotional and behavioral responses following a migration and compiled an extensive list of protective and risk factors. 48 studies were selected from Proquest, WOS, SCOPUS, and Pubpsych published between 2015 and 2022. Findings: Migration and its inherent characteristics are less impactful to children's mental health than the experiences surrounding it such as discrimination, loss of access to government and education resources, premigration trauma, loss of community, cultural distance and acculturation, the strain on the family unit, and socioeconomic difficulties. Thus, it is possible to make migration a non-traumatic experience with the right care and intervention to avoid the emergence of depressive symptoms, PTSS (post-traumatic stress symptoms), anxiety, and other mental health issues that are commonly observed in migrant populations. Supporting family unity, peer connections, and government aid will serve as protective factors for children while they integrate into their new environment.
Rights:	Tots els drets reservats.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió sotmesa a revisió
Subject:	Migration ; Children ; Depression ; Review ; Mental Health
Published in:	Journal of Migration and Health, Vol. 7 (2023) , ISSN 2666-6235

DOI: 10.1016/j.jmh.2023.100176
PMID: 37034241

Preprint 28 p, 623.9 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Social and Legal Sciences > Grup de Recerca en Infància i Adolescència en Risc Social (IARS)
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles