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Several risk factors for children's mental health and wellness have been established. These are compounded by inequalities, especially in Majority World Countries (MWC). As evidence is largely based on adult reports, we aimed to capture children's experiences of risk across five MWC resource-constrained settings (Brazil, Pakistan, Turkey, Kenya, and South Africa) during the height of COVID-19 pandemic. Participants included 36 children aged 8–10 years and 37 young people aged 14–16 years. We employed a thematic design using a participatory methodological approach in collecting data through diary entries, drawings, posters, focus groups discussions, and child-led interviews with elders. Two researchers integrated and analysed the data set through a thematic codebook framework. Three identified themes related to exacerbation of existing risks, disruption or loss of protective factors, and lack of access to structural supports. Children linked risk factors along their socioecology. The findings have implications in actively involving children as social actors in determining and addressing risk for mental health and wellness through child-centred and multi-sectoral policy and interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there has been increasing attention on the impact of risk and resilience factors on refugee children's mental health, there has been limited evidence on the role of parental factors to inform interventions, and this predominantly relies on adult reports. The aim was to investigate the relationship between perceived parenting styles and attachment relationships and child mental health, as reported by 322 Syrian refugee minors aged between 8 and 17 years in Turkey. Child-rated scales included the Children Revised Impact of Event Scale–8 (CRIES-8), Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Security Scale and Egna Minnen Betraffande Uppfostran for Children (EMBU-C), and were used as measures of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), general mental health problems, attachment relationships and perceived parenting styles, respectively. Children with secure maternal and paternal attachment perceived their parents as less rejecting, while children with secure paternal attachment also reported their parents as emotionally warmer. Attachment relationships significantly contributed in predicting PTSD after controlling for age and gender, while conduct problems were predicted by lack of emotional warmth, rejection and over-protection by both parents, in addition to insecure attachment relationships. Refugee children's views are essential in establishing their needs and planning interventions. These should address both the impact of trauma and current family relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Child mental health services and related agencies are faced with an increasing challenge in responding to the influx of refugee children around the world. There is strong evidence on the prevalence and complexity of these children's mental health problems and broader needs. Aims: To review the research literature on risk and protective factors, and associated mental health interventions for refugee children. Methods: Peer‐reviewed studies were included for the period 2004–2017; if they included refugee, asylum‐seeking or internally displaced children under 18 years; and adopted a quantitative design. Vulnerability and protective factors for refugee children were considered in this context, followed by the respective types of interventions at pre‐, peri‐ and postmigration stage, and across high‐ and low‐/middle‐income countries. Eighty‐two peer‐reviewed studies fulfilled the selection criteria. Results: The existing body of literature is largely based on identifying risk factors among children with mental health problems and predominantly designing trauma‐focused interventions to reduce their symptomatic distress. Recent research and services have gradually shifted to a broader and dynamic resilience‐building approach based on ecological theory, that is at child, family, school, community and societal level. There is increasing evidence for the implementation and effectiveness of multimodal interventions targeting all these levels, despite the methodological constraints in their evaluation. Conclusions: In high‐income countries, child mental health services need to collaborate with all agencies in contact with refugee children, establish joint care pathways, and integrate trauma‐focused interventions with family and community approaches. In low‐ and middle‐income countries, where specialist resources are sparse, resilience‐building should aim at maximising and upskilling existing capacity. A six‐dimensional psychosocial model that applies to other children who experience complex trauma is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]