Post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, and anxiety in unaccompanied refugee minors exposed to war-related trauma: a systematic review

ABSTRACT

This systematic review gathers data from the existing literature on the prevalence and course of psychiatric disorders among unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs). The databases PsychINFO, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched and reference lists of papers were also manually examined to identify relevant articles. Peer-reviewed journal articles included focused on the mental health of URMs, who were forced to leave their place of residence because of threats of wars. A narrative synthesis was done to analyse the data presented in the studies. Results from the fifteen studies included in the review highlighted the high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), depression, and anxiety among URMs. The association between internalizing disorders and exposure to trauma, and time since displacement were examined. Separation from family members, death of parents and close relatives, level of exposure to armed conflicts, and threats to a person were the most frequent stressful life events (SLE) among URMs before migration. Although the number of research done on this vulnerable population is increasing overtime, the review highlights the need for further examination of refugee mental health and the factors affecting symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

KEYWORDS:

• Unaccompanied refugee minors
• children
• asylum seeker
• war
• mental illness
• mental health
• post-traumatic stress disorders
• depression
• anxiety
• systematic review

Acknowledgement

As my supervisor and co-author of this review, Dr. Erminia Colucci provided guidance and assistance for this manuscript until completion. I am grateful to have her as a co-author and I wish to thank her for the support and motivation she has offered in order to present a work that reflects my full potential.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Reem El Baba is a doctorate student at the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling in London and training to become a psychotherapist. She is currently a special educator and has always worked with children and adolescents with special educational needs. Her areas of interest and research include refugees, children of war and the role of culture in the approach to mental health.

Erminia Colucci is a Senior lecturer in the Department of Psychology at Middlesex University London and Honorary Senior Researcher at the Global and Cultural Mental Health Unit at the Centre for Mental Health at The University of Melbourne.

ORCID

Erminia Colucci http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9714-477X