Intervention – Journal of Mental Health and Psychological Support in Conflict Affected Areas
July 2016 – Volume 14 – Issue 2 pp: 96-186
http://journals.lww.com/interventionjnl/pages/currenttoc.aspx

.

Current affairs
Syria: the challenges of parenting in refugee situations of immediate displacement
El-Khani, Aala; Ulph, Fiona; Peters, Sarah;
Abstract
The way parents care for their children during displacement plays a key role in children’s emotional and behavioural outcomes. Yet, sparse literature exists regarding the parenting challenges faced by families fleeing conflict in transitional, pre-resettlement stages. This study, therefore, aimed to identify the parenting experiences of Syrian families living in refugee camps, focusing on understanding how their parenting had changed and the impact displacement had had on their parenting. Methods used included: interviews and focus groups discussions with 27 mothers living in refugee contexts, two interviews with professional aid workers, with the data analysed using thematic analysis. Data were structured in three themes; 1) environmental challenges; 2) child specific challenges; and 3) parent specific challenges. Results clearly showed that parents struggled physically and emotionally to support their children. Such challenges could be addressed by parenting interventions to reduce the trauma impact experienced by children.

.

Being a refugee in Turkey and western Europe: how it affects mental health and psychosocial wellbeing
Anonymous
Abstract
In this personal reflection, the author is a Syrian refugee who describes his experiences as a psychosocial worker in Syria and with refugees in Turkey and Greece. He highlights how women and children lack safety in the camps. The second section discusses how he became a refugee himself. Due to his experiences in Syria, he now finds himself in a difficult situation in the Netherlands, the county where he applied for asylum and has received a permit, but his ‘cry for help’ remains unheard and unrecognised by the (health) workers in the asylum centre.

.

Articles
Psychosocial support among refugees of conflict in developing countries: a critical literature review
Alfadhli, Khalifah; Drury, John
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to examine the psychosocial needs and stressors among refugees of conflicts within developing countries, and their group based, social support mechanisms. Systematic literature searches of peer reviewed journal articles (n = 60 articles) were carried out using the following factors: type (refugee); cause (conflicts); location (developing countries). As refugees move towards a prolonged urban displacement phase, needs and stressors became different than those of the acute phase. While daily stressors affect far more people than posttraumatic stress disorder, many psychosocial support interventions focus only on the latter. Positive effects of social support on the mental health of displaced people have been established, while the process is not yet clear, group processes and identities appear to be important. The authors suggest, therefore, that a social identity approach can be applied to understand the emergence of a common refugee identity, and its role in empowerment through activating social support networks.

.

Psychological interventions for children and young people affected by armed conflict or political violence: a systematic literature review
O’Sullivan, Clodagh; Bosqui, Tania; Shannon, Ciaran
Abstract
Youths exposed to armed conflict have a higher prevalence of mental health and psychosocial difficulties. Diverse interventions exist that aim to ameliorate the effect of armed conflict on the psychological and psychosocial wellbeing of conflict affected youths. However, the evidence base for the effectiveness of these interventions is limited. Using standard review methodology, this review aims to address the effectiveness of psychological interventions employed among this population. The search was performed across four databases and grey literature. Article quality was assessed using the Downs and Black Quality Checklist (1998). Where possible, studies were subjected to meta-analyses. The remaining studies were included in a narrative synthesis. Eight studies concerned non clinical populations, while nine concerned clinical populations. Review findings conclude that Group Trauma Focused–Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is effective for reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and improving prosocial behaviour among clinical cohorts. The evidence does not suggest that interventions aimed at non clinical groups within this population are effective. Despite high quality studies, further robust trials are required to strengthen the evidence base, as a lack of replication has resulted in a limited evidence base to inform practice.