Abstract:
Refugee research tends to be deficit based and focused on the risks threatening positive adaptation and wellbeing. High rates of mental (and physical) health issues have been reported for refugee adults and children, including intergenerational trauma. This study uses the new Child Resilience Questionnaire (CRQ), co-designed with refugee background communities, to describe resilience and positive wellbeing experienced by children of refugee-background. The Childhood Resilience Study (CRS) recruited 1132 families with children aged 5-12 years in Victoria and South Australia, Australia. This included the recruitment of 109 families from 4 refugee background communities: Assyrian Chaldean (Iraq, Syria), Hazara (Afghanistan), Karen (Burma, Thailand) and Sierra Leonean families. CRQ-parent/caregiver report (CRQ-P/C) scores were categorised into \'low\', \'moderate\' and \'high\'. The child\'s emotional and behavioural wellbeing was assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, with positive wellbeing defined as <17 on the total difficulties score. Tobit regression models adjusted for a child\'s age. The CRQ-P/C scores were not different for boys and girls of refugee background. Children of refugee-background (n = 109) had higher average CRQ-P/C scores than other CRS children (n = 1023) in the personal, school and community domains, but were lower in the family domain. Most children with \'high\' resilience scores had positive wellbeing for both children of refugee-background (94.6%) and other CRS children (96.5%). Contrary to common stereotypes, children of refugee-background show specific individual, family, school and cultural strengths that can help them navigate cumulative and complex risks to sustain or develop their positive wellbeing. A better understanding as to how to build strengths at personal, family, peer, school and community levels where children are vulnerable is an important next step. Working in close collaboration with refugee communities, schools, policy makers and key service providers will ensure the optimal translation of these findings into sustainable practice and impactful public policy.
摘要:
难民研究往往以赤字为基础,侧重于威胁积极适应和福祉的风险。据报告,难民成人和儿童的心理(和身体)健康问题发生率很高,包括代际创伤.本研究使用新的儿童心理弹性问卷(CRQ),与难民背景社区共同设计,描述难民背景儿童所经历的韧性和积极的福祉。儿童弹性研究(CRS)在维多利亚州和南澳大利亚州招募了1132个5-12岁儿童的家庭,澳大利亚。这包括从4个难民背景社区招募109个家庭:亚述人迦勒底(伊拉克,叙利亚),哈扎拉(阿富汗),凯伦(缅甸,泰国)和塞拉利昂家庭。CRQ-父母/看护者报告(CRQ-P/C)得分被归类为“低”,\'中等\'和\'高\'。孩子的情绪和行为健康通过优势和困难问卷进行评估,在总困难得分上,积极的幸福感定义为<17。根据儿童年龄调整的Tobit回归模型。有难民背景的男孩和女孩的CRQ-P/C分数没有差异。难民背景儿童(n=109)的平均CRQ-P/C分数高于其他CRS儿童(n=1023),学校和社区领域,但在家庭领域较低。大多数具有“高”弹性分数的儿童对难民背景的儿童(94.6%)和其他CRS儿童(96.5%)都具有积极的幸福感。与常见的刻板印象相反,难民背景的儿童显示特定的个人,家庭,学校和文化优势,可以帮助他们应对累积和复杂的风险,以维持或发展他们的积极福祉。更好地理解如何建立个人优势,家庭,同行,儿童脆弱的学校和社区层面是重要的下一步。与难民社区密切合作,学校,政策制定者和主要服务提供商将确保将这些发现最佳地转化为可持续实践和有影响力的公共政策。