Psychological Research

Background: Millions of refugees are forcibly displaced each year. Among these refugees, children are dramatically over-represented and account for around half of refugees entering Europe (e.g., UNICEF, 2020). The upheaval associated with displacement and the multitude of traumatic adversities faced, renders refugee children at high risk for psychiatric disorders (e.g., Nielsen et al., 2019). Epidemiological studies highlight the urgent need for evidence-based, feasible, accessible, and culturally appropriate, mental health support for refugee children (e.g., Blackmore et al., 2020). Yet, traditional delivery of evidence-based therapeutic interventions is resource intensive, which, in combination with the complexity and barriers that refugee children face to receive treatment, means that many refugee children are left untreated (Fazel et al., 2012). Therapist guided, parent-led treatment models can enable efficient care that conserves resources and improves accessibility (McKinnon et al., 2018). However, to date, this approach has not been applied with refugee populations. This DPhil project will explore the specific mental health needs of young children (aged 3-11), develop an adapted guided parent-led psychological intervention to equip parents in identifying the mental health needs of their young children and to support them at home, and assess its feasibility.

Method: This DPhil will consist of three studies: 1) Systematic review of the specific mental health needs of young refugee children (aged 3-11); 2) Semi-structured interviews with refugee parents of young children to understand the challenges and barriers they face in identifying and meeting the mental health needs of their children. Findings from the review and parental interviews will inform the adaptation of a guided parent-led psychological intervention to equip parents in supporting their young children to address their mental health needs; 3) Feasibility randomised control trial to assess whether a definitive trial should be conducted.

Relevance: Refugee children are a vulnerable population, easily overlooked and at significant risk of developing psychological problems. With more than half of all mental health disorders starting prior to adolescence, it is crucial that to the mental health needs of this vulnerable group is attended to (CAMHS, 2020). This project will be the first to equip refugee parents that have resettled in a high-income country with the skills and confidence to identify the mental health needs of their children and to support them within the home. Thus, this project stands to benefit the large proportion of refugee children with mental health needs that are at risk of educational disadvantage and negative life outcomes.