28.L. Workshop: Promoting the mental health of refugee minors: mobilising key stakeholders
Authors:   Organised by: Child Health and Parenting (CHAP), Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University (Sweden),   Chair persons: Anna Sarkadi - Sweden, Georgina Warner - Sweden
Published: October 2020

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, there are over 25 million refugees worldwide, over half of whom are under the age of 18. War and conflict is among the leading causes of forced displacement. We know children exposed to war are at an increased risk of developing mental health problems, in particular post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An international meta-analysis reported a pooled PTSD prevalence estimate of 47 per cent. War exposure is not the only trauma these minors face; multiple and profound trauma is reported during flight and resettlement.

Given the scale of forced displacement, related trauma and associated mental health problems, promoting the mental health of refugee minors is a public health priority.

The complexity of addressing mental health problems among refugee minors requires all the stakeholders around the child or adolescent to be empowered to provide support. This extends across healthcare, school, community intervention, family and the individual. Fear of jeopardizing asylum applications, stigma, and unfamiliarity with mental health all lead refugees to underreport mental health symptoms. School reportedly plays an important role in societal integration for refugee children. It is paramount to consider the safety aspects of community mental health intervention, including impact on those delivering the interventions. Not least, refugees should be empowered. Reciprocal respect between researchers and refugee minors can facilitate a deeper understanding of the issues at hand and mental health interventions can be designed, delivered and evaluated in a way that is simultaneously useful, useable and desirable.

This workshop will bring together international perspectives on how to promote the mental health of refugee minors, with an emphasis on a holistic approach that engages everyone around the child or adolescent. The CHAP research group (Sweden), along with international partners from University of Manchester (UK), will present findings from their research programme to promote the mental health of refugee minors in Sweden and families living in conflict zones. This will provide a springboard for discussion of international approaches and lessons.

The objective of the workshop is to leverage combined knowledge and expertise at an international level to enhance public health approaches to promote the mental health of refugee minors.

The workshop will start with a mapping exercise to understand which countries are represented in the room. A series of short presentations will be given on strategies and tools to empower: routine health care personnel; school personnel; community intervention facilitators; refugee minors and families. After each presentation, the group will be asked to reflect on knowledge and practice from their country. Written comments will be collected on a digital interactive discussion board. The main points will be summarized ahead of an opportunity for discussion in the room.

Key messages

Global efforts to promote the mental health of refugee minors, including how to inform and empower key people around the child or adolescent, need to be leveraged. Involvement of refugees as advisors in mental health research has the potential to play a transformative role. It can lead to interventions that are simultaneously useful, useable and desirable.