Intergenerational Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia.
Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 May 15;21(5):627. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21050627.
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.
难民研究往往以缺陷为基础，侧重于威胁积极适应和幸福的风险。难民成人和儿童的心理健康（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适应力问卷（CRQ），该问卷与难民背景社区共同设计，描述难民背景儿童的适应力和积极幸福感。儿童适应力研究（CRS）在澳大利亚维多利亚州和南澳大利亚州招募了 1132 个有 5-12 岁儿童的家庭，其中包括从 4 个难民背景社区招募的 109 个家庭：亚述迦勒底人（伊拉克、叙利亚）、哈扎拉人（阿富汗）、克伦人（缅甸、泰国）和塞拉利昂人家庭。CRQ-父母/照顾者报告（CRQ-P/C）分数分为“低”、“中”和“高”。儿童的情绪和行为健康通过《长处和困难问卷》进行评估，积极幸福感定义为总困难评分<17。Tobit 回归模型根据儿童年龄进行了调整。难民背景儿童的男孩和女孩的 CRQ-P/C 分数没有差异。与其他 CRS 儿童（n=1023）相比，难民背景儿童（n=109）在个人、学校和社区领域的平均 CRQ-P/C 得分较高，但在家庭领域的得分较低。对于具有“高”适应力得分的大多数儿童，难民背景儿童（94.6%）和其他 CRS 儿童（96.5%）都具有积极的幸福感。与普遍的刻板印象相反，难民背景儿童表现出特定的个人、家庭、学校和文化优势，这些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幸福感。了解如何在儿童脆弱的个人、家庭、同伴、学校和社区层面建立优势是下一步的重要工作。与难民社区、学校、政策制定者和主要服务提供商密切合作，将确保这些发现能够转化为可持续的实践和有影响力的公共政策。
