title: PTSD and depression in refugee children: associations with pre-migration trauma and post-migration stress.
abstract: This paper describes the effect of pre-migration and post-migration experiences on the mental health of a sample of 40 refugee children aged 8-16 who lived in London with at least one parent or a refugee relative. Children's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms were assessed with standardised self-report measures (Impact of Event Scale and Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children, respectively). Information regarding past and present experiences were gathered during an interview with parents. There was a significant correlation between the number of pre-migration traumas experienced by the families and the children's PTSD scores. There was also a significant correlation between the families' number of post-migration stresses and children's depression scores. Higher PTSD scores were significantly associated with the pre-migration experience of violent death of family members and the post-migration experience of an insecure asylum status. Higher depression scores were significantly associated with insecure asylum status and severe financial difficulties. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry (King's College London), Box P085, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. e.heptinstall@iop.kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heptinstall
authors.forename: Vaheshta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sethna
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom