Centre for Evidence Based Intervention, Department of Social Policy & Intervention, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
J Trauma Stress. 2012 Oct;25(5):551-7. doi: 10.1002/jts.21740. Epub 2012 Oct 15.
This study concerned the mental health of Afghan unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in the United Kingdom (UK). Afghans are the largest group of children seeking asylum in the UK, yet evidence concerning their mental health is limited. This study presents an estimate of probable posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within this group and describes its associations with the cumulative effect of premigration traumatic events, immigration/asylum status, and social care living arrangements. Male adolescents (N = 222) aged 13-18 years completed validated self-report screening measures for traumatic experiences and likely PTSD. One-third (34.3%) scored above a selected cutoff, suggesting that they are likely to have PTSD. A higher incidence of premigration traumatic events was associated with greater PTSD symptomatology. Children living in semi-independent care arrangements were more likely to report increased PTSD symptoms when compared to their peers in foster care. A substantial majority in this study did not score above the cutoff, raising the possibility of notable levels of resilience. Future research should consider approaching mental health issues from a resilience perspective to further the understanding of protective mechanisms for this at-risk population.
本研究关注的是英国（UK）境内阿富汗无人陪伴寻求庇护儿童的心理健康问题。阿富汗人是在英国寻求庇护的儿童中人数最多的群体，但有关其心理健康的证据有限。本研究估算了这一群体中可能出现的创伤后应激障碍（PTSD），并描述了其与创伤前事件的累积效应、移民/庇护身份和社会关怀居住安排之间的关联。年龄在 13-18 岁的男性青少年（N=222）完成了创伤经历和可能出现的 PTSD 的有效自我报告筛查措施。三分之一（34.3%）的人得分高于所选的临界值，表明他们可能患有 PTSD。创伤前事件发生率较高与 PTSD 症状更为严重相关。与寄养中的同龄人相比，生活在半独立照料安排中的儿童更有可能报告 PTSD 症状增加。在这项研究中，绝大多数儿童的得分未超过临界值，这表明他们可能具有显著的适应力。未来的研究应从适应力的角度考虑心理健康问题，以进一步了解这一高危人群的保护机制。
