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Background: Unaccompanied minor refugees are a high risk group for trauma-related disorders. Although these disorders pose a risk for unhealthy substance use, research of substance use among young refugees is lacking. Methods: This study investigated substance use in a total of 102 refugees between 16 and 21 years of age who arrived as unaccompanied minors in Germany. Participants were asked about their religious beliefs and substance use within the last three months and prior to leaving their countries of origin. Unhealthy substance use was assessed by drug-specific questionnaires. Results: Overall, 38% of the study participants met the criteria for unhealthy substance use (12% solely for unhealthy tobacco use). According to self-ratings, 21% of the refugees met the criteria for unhealthy alcohol use, 25% for unhealthy tobacco use and 12% for unhealthy cannabis use. Young refugees who had already used drugs in their country of origin were more susceptible to developing unhealthy substance use. Identifying as religious seems to reduce the risk for unhealthy substance use. Conclusion: The results reveal that unaccompanied refugees are highly vulnerable for unhealthy substance use. Special programs for unhealthy substance use prevention are needed for this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Familiegjenforeining til flyktningar har vore kjenneteikna ved at mor eller far kom til landet først og resten av familien kom seinare. Det siste tiåret har foreldre og sysken i større grad fått gjenforeining med tidlegare einslege mindreårige flyktningar. Gjennom kvalitative intervju undersøkjer vi ti tidlegare einslege mindreårige flyktningar sine erfaringar med slik gjenforeining, og deira møte med hjelpeapparat og regelverk i den samanheng. Ved hjelp av institusjonell teori analyserer vi fram to motstridande institusjonelle logikkar i intervjua: dei unge sitt ansvar for familien si sak versus det offentlege sitt ansvar for familien si sak. Logikken om dei unge sitt ansvar dominerer i materialet. Gleda over etterlengta familieliv er for dei fleste av dei unge blanda med tungt ansvar for mottak og integrering av familiemedlemmane. Resultat frå studien viser at dei unge som tek eller vert pålagt eit stort ansvar for familien, ofte opplever alvorlege konsekvensar, blant anna i form av psykiske utfordringar og avbroten skulegang. Vi etterlyser endring av regelverk og ein praksis i det lokale hjelpeapparatet meir tilpassa dei unge sin situasjon.

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In this article, we explore the role of family-like relationships in creating wellbeing for unaccompanied minor refugees (UMRs) to Europe. Our theoretical point of departure is a relational approach to wellbeing as conceptualized by Sarah C. White. The data comprises interviews with 51 settled UMRs in Finland, Norway, and Scotland, focused on their social networks, and a selection of paired interviews with young people alongside someone they defined as family-like and important for their wellbeing today. Findings illuminate the important role family-like relationships have in meeting the daily needs of young refugees. These relationships are ascribed meaning in the context of young people's wider networks and ideas of 'what family should do'. Family-like relationships gain particular importance for UMRs in two different ways: first, the physical absence of the family of origin enforces children and young people's need to create trusted, reciprocal networks. Second, building family-like relationships is necessary in a new country where UMRs grow up and face new expectations, needs, and opportunities. We argue that relational wellbeing is built in a hybrid 'third space'. A welfare state should support the wellbeing of UMRs by nurturing welcoming communities and providing UMRs help with building family-like relationships through formal and other support networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anonymisation of research participants is a standardised ethical practice, but researchers sometimes struggle to find an ethical balance between the practice of anonymisation and participants' wishes to reveal their identities. In the Australian and Finnish studies utilising visuality, the participating asylum-seeking and refugee children and youths wished to reveal their faces and claim ownership for their work. The hindrance of this caused disappointment for the participants and inhibited them from telling their message. Unproblematised anonymisation may have unplanned consequences for children and present them not only as faceless but also as voiceless, thus leading to further ethical problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we explore the role of family-like relationships in creating wellbeing for unaccompanied minor refugees (UMRs) to Europe. Our theoretical point of departure is a relational approach to wellbeing as conceptualized by Sarah C. White. The data comprises interviews with 51 settled UMRs in Finland, Norway, and Scotland, focused on their social networks, and a selection of paired interviews with young people alongside someone they defined as family-like and important for their wellbeing today. Findings illuminate the important role family-like relationships have in meeting the daily needs of young refugees. These relationships are ascribed meaning in the context of young people’s wider networks and ideas of ‘what family should do’. Family-like relationships gain particular importance for UMRs in two different ways: first, the physical absence of the family of origin enforces children and young people’s need to create trusted, reciprocal networks. Second, building family-like relationships is necessary in a new country where UMRs grow up and face new expectations, needs, and opportunities. We argue that relational wellbeing is built in a hybrid ‘third space’. A welfare state should support the wellbeing of UMRs by nurturing welcoming communities and providing UMRs help with building family-like relationships through formal and other support networks.

Research on the psychosocial care (PSC) of unaccompanied minor refugees (UMRs) has mainly taken a socioepidemiological approach and has focused on the perspectives of experts in the field. In contrast, the knowledge concerning the differing context factors and the underlying mechanisms of current PSC which could inform policy recommendations is scant. The study aims at unravelling the contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of PSC for UMRs. For a realist review (RR), scientific evidence and gray literature were synthesised consistent with the RAMESES publication standards for realist synthesis. Based on an iterative keyword search in electronic databases (e.g., PubMed) and screening, 34 works from 2005 to 2019 were included in a realist synthesis. Theory-informed context–mechanism–outcome configurations (CMOs) were extracted, to explain underlying processes and mechanisms. Characterised by their interrelatedness, the dominant CMOs included the UMRs' intersections of transitions (e.g., adolescence and migration), their needs for culture-, and gender-sensitive PSC, and the undersupply of PSC. These contexts and outcomes are mediated by pre-, peri- and post-migratory stressors as well as care structures and are moreover influenced by overarching discourses and concepts. They comprise adverse and beneficial mechanisms in the PSC of UMRs. The existing literature grasps the PSC of UMRs by different disciplines and approaches but does not offer a comprehensive overview on micro–macro intersections and included discourses. The inclusion of lay perspectives and an intersectional approach could inform health service research. The reflection of UMR-related categorical constructs of resilience and vulnerability, discourses of othering, as well as restrictive health policies may guide policy recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, there has been a rising interest in the mental health of unaccompanied minor refugees (UMR), who are a high-risk group for mental disorders. Especially the investigation of predictive factors of the mental health of young refugees has received increasing attention. However, there has been no review on this current issue for the specific group of UMR so far. We aimed to summarize and evaluate the existing findings of specific risk and protective factors to identify the most verified influences on the mental health of UMR. Therefore, we conducted a systematic literature search. Study designs were limited to quantitative cross-sectional and longitudinal designs. Eight databases were searched in four different languages and article reference lists of relevant papers were screened. 27 studies were included (N = 4753). Qualitative synthesis revealed the number of stressful life events to be the most evaluated and verified risk factor for mental health of UMR. A stable environment and social support, on the other hand, can protect UMR from developing poor mental health. Besides that, several other influencing factors could be pointed out, such as type of accommodation, family contact, gender and cultural competences. Because of the large heterogeneity of outcome measures, quantitative synthesis was not possible. This review helps to improve our understanding of determinants of UMRs mental health and thus to provide more targeted treatment. Furthermore, it provides information on how to prevent the development of mental health problems by specifying factors that can be modified by different health and immigration sectors in advance. Further research is needed focusing on the interaction between the various predictive factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Viennese Ernst Papanek – a socialist, Adlerian and passionate educator – ran four children's homes in Montmorency near Paris for Jewish refugee children from Germany and Austria during the Second World War. The children had been sent to France on a so-called Kindertransport by their parents to save them from the National Socialists. Frightened and alone, they found a home in Papanek children's homes. Within just a few months, the educator did not simply manage a refugee shelter, but built an impressive educational reform system, which would still be described as extremely progressive today and which was downright revolutionary for its time. This historical essay biographically tells the life of Ernst Papanek, with a focus on the period up to the end of the Second World War and his work with Jewish refugee children. Papanek was – in the spirit of Alfred Adler – convinced that the community life in the homes helped the traumatized children to find healing. Today, educators, psychologists, and historians see group accomodations a far better form of housing refugee children than living in foster families. This is an important lesson to be learned from Papanek's work in times of the ongoing refugee crisis, with thousands of unaccompanied minors coming to Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the birth date on state documents is proposed as an unambiguous marker of IDentity, the age assessment of migrants into Germany reveals a contested and black-boxed practice behind the seemingly neutral numbers. This is a practice of contested bureaucratic and scientific decision-making turned into a stable truth. This article examines this process by drawing on ethnographic research into forensic practices assessing migrants' ages in Hamburg, Germany. Ultimately, a migrant's assessed age has crucial consequences for their identity, rights and possibilities. Through a study of the technologies of assessment, this paper shows that the making of age IDentity is relational and ambiguous, and not a truth that is fixed in one's body as 'biological age'. This challenges one of the promises of biometrics, an ability to measure 'the body' objectively. Rather, the paper proposes that what that body precisely is is an outcome of a specific practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unaccompanied minor refugees are regularly placed with foster families, and this residential context is sometimes assessed as especially appropriate to the needs of these young persons. The transition into a foster family is often accompanied by various changes as well as questions concerning feelings of belonging. These questions are the focus of this study, which considers the perspectives of young refugees and their foster parents. The analysis shows that 'belonging' and 'being at home' are thought of as dimensions of 'doing family' that change situationally and are negotiated with others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Over the last decades, due to high rates of immigration, many high-income countries have witnessed demographic shifts towards more cultural diversity in the population. Socio-economic deprivation and traumatic experiences pre-migration contribute to a high risk for mental health problems among immigrant background youth. Moreover, when adapting to the multi-cultural contexts of the resettlement countries they face several acculturation demands, which may also affect their mental health in adaptive or hazardous ways. One of these acculturation tasks involves developing the cultural competence necessary to thrive and participate socially within the heritage and the majority cultural domains. From a public mental health perspective, it is important to have thorough knowledge about acculturation-related risk and protective factors. However, this responsibility has been challenged by a lack of acculturation measures that are theoretically linked to mental health, and target the cultural competencies of immigrant background youth. Therefore, the current study aimed at examining if a construct of peer-related culture competence, operationalized in the Youth Culture Competence Scale (YCCS), captured the same competence-phenomenon across different language, age, and immigrant groups in two immigrant-receiving countries. The scale includes two dimensions: one of heritage, and one of majority peer-related culture competence. Methods Self-report questionnaire data were collected from 895 unaccompanied refugees and 591 immigrant background high school students in Norway, and from 321 immigrant university students in the United States. To examine if the measure assessed the same phenomenon of peer-related culture competence across these three multi-ethnic samples with an age range from 13 to 28, we examined its measurement equivalence. Additionally, we examined if the association between peer-related culture competence and depressive symptoms was similar in these groups. Results Confirmatory factor analyses supported the proposed two factor structure of the YCCS across the three samples. The structural equation model assessing the effects of heritage and majority culture competence on depressive symptoms confirmed that each culture competence dimension had a unique association with depressive symptoms across the samples. Conclusions We conclude that the YCCS is a robust acculturation measure that may be included in public health studies of mental health among multi-ethnic refugee and immigrant samples of varied ages.

Copyright of Discourse: Journal of Childhood & Adolescense Research / Diskurs Kindheits- und Jugendforschung is the property of Verlag Barbara Budrich GmbH and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This case study explores the arriving process of an unaccompanied minor refugee in Germany and his perception of the psychosocial support he received. The aim is to elaborate possibilities to support refugee adolescents' arrival processes adequately. Two interviews—theme‐centered and narrative—were conducted and afterwards examined by a group of five researchers who used experts' validation as the analyzing tool. Four main dimensions were identified contributing to the complex dynamics in psychosocial work with unaccompanied minor refugees: (a) the distinct need for self‐determination and idealization, (b) the fight for state recognition as a legal refugee, (c) the attempt of achieving recognition by the society, and (d) the inability of building trusting and affective relationships with friends and caregivers in the host country. Thus, professionals working with unaccompanied minor refugees need to consider the adolescents' demand for self‐determination and perceive idealization not only as a defense mechanism but also as a coping strategy to survive in an unpredictable environment. Being a reliable object that can be used by the adolescent can help to establish a trusting basis for the relationship. This case study indicates that approaches of psychosocial support with unaccompanied minor refugees need to acknowledge and work with the interrelation between the inner world and the external reality of refugee adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the results of a narrative literature review on empirical research examining the outcomes and/or experiences of unaccompanied refugee minors in family foster care. The limited research' in which only 17 references were identified' suggests that family foster care is an important type of care for this group and is associated with better health and psychosocial outcomes compared to other types of care. Nevertheless' breakdown of family foster care placements is a cause for concern. Four groups of factors that influence the course of family foster care placements are discussed' namely' foster family characteristics' differences in expectations between foster parents and refugee youth' cultural differences' and contextual factors. Furthermore' practical implications and suggestions for further research are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rechtsmedizin is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article analyzes developments in the forms of social work with young refugees and the legal framing of such work in Germany from 1990 to the present. In particular, it addresses the reactions of politicians and the child and youth welfare system to the sharp rise in the number of refugees in 2015 and 2016, and the concomitant significant increase in the number of unaccompanied minor refugees. It underlines the need for an approach based on children's rights, and the necessity for social workers, especially those involved in helping youth, to resist the policies of deterrence that are aimed at keeping refugees out of Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Over the last decades, due to high rates of immigration, many high-income countries have witnessed demographic shifts towards more cultural diversity in the population. Socio-economic deprivation and traumatic experiences pre-migration contribute to a high risk for mental health problems among immigrant background youth. Moreover, when adapting to the multi-cultural contexts of the resettlement countries they face several acculturation demands, which may also affect their mental health in adaptive or hazardous ways. One of these acculturation tasks involves developing the cultural competence necessary to thrive and participate socially within the heritage and the majority cultural domains. From a public mental health perspective, it is important to have thorough knowledge about acculturation-related risk and protective factors. However, this responsibility has been challenged by a lack of acculturation measures that are theoretically linked to mental health, and target the cultural competencies of immigrant background youth. Therefore, the current study aimed at examining if a construct of peer-related culture competence, operationalized in the Youth Culture Competence Scale (YCCS), captured the same competence-phenomenon across different language, age, and immigrant groups in two immigrant-receiving countries. The scale includes two dimensions: one of heritage, and one of majority peer-related culture competence.Methods: Self-report questionnaire data were collected from 895 unaccompanied refugees and 591 immigrant background high school students in Norway, and from 321 immigrant university students in the United States. To examine if the measure assessed the same phenomenon of peer-related culture competence across these three multi-ethnic samples with an age range from 13 to 28, we examined its measurement equivalence. Additionally, we examined if the association between peer-related culture competence and depressive symptoms was similar in these groups.Results: Confirmatory factor analyses supported the proposed two factor structure of the YCCS across the three samples. The structural equation model assessing the effects of heritage and majority culture competence on depressive symptoms confirmed that each culture competence dimension had a unique association with depressive symptoms across the samples.Conclusions: We conclude that the YCCS is a robust acculturation measure that may be included in public health studies of mental health among multi-ethnic refugee and immigrant samples of varied ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to meet the high demand for trauma-focused interventions for traumatized children and adolescents, stepped-care approaches with low-threshold (group) interventions have been proposed in recent years as a solution to fill in the gap in mental health care. Furthermore, they have been increasingly scientifically evaluated. This manuscript presents a study on the differential effectiveness of the trauma-focused group intervention „Mein Weg", which is aimed at young refugees. In addition to the assessment of the frequency of non-suicidal self-injurious behaviour (NSSV) and suicidal thoughts and actions, we examined wether they have an influence on these thoughts influenced post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms in adolescents who participated in the „Mein Weg" intervention. A total number of N = 99 almost exclusively male adolescents aged 14 to 19 participated in the study. The adolescents completed questionnaires on the corresponding symptoms (CATS and PHQ-9) at several points in time. The results show that 44.4 % of adolescents report NSSV and suicidal tendencies. The symptoms of the groups did not differ significantly from each other at any time. Therefore, it can be concluded that adolescents with and without NSSV and suicidal tendencies benefit equally well from the intervention regarding PTSS and depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Germany, people categorised as 'unaccompanied minor refugees' have special rights, entitlements and possibilities. It is, for example, legally complicated to deport them. Since age is such a crucial marker of difference, the age statement of individual migrants is often scrutinised in their registration process through administrative, pedagogic and forensic practices. This ethnographic analysis of forensic age estimations in Hamburg, Germany, shows that one cannot simply read age from a young migrant's bones. Rather, an individual's age is enacted in a practice whereby age is not only dependent on a body, but also on the specific bureaucratic and scientific traditions, technologies and standards involved in assessing it. Thus, citizenship practices based on age not only draw on 'the body', but also – and more crucially – on varied scientific and bureaucratic practices. I propose the concept of 'biorelational citizenship' to grasp these shifting relationalities of the body in citizenship practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Résumé Objectifs À travers le recours à la médiation photographique, nous souhaitons montrer les bénéfices du recours à un dispositif groupal à médiation dans le contexte migratoire. L'accent sera mis sur la circulation des affects en groupe et sur l'articulation sujet-groupe dans ce type spécifique de prise en charge. Méthode Le groupe Photolangage® ici présenté s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une prise en charge et d'un soutien psychologique adressé à des mineurs isolés étrangers (MIE). Il s'agit de cinq adolescents ressortissants d'Afrique Noire et du Bangladesh, d'âge compris entre 15 et 17 ans. Pour notre analyse, nous aurons recours à la méthode clinique apte à favoriser les processus de lien, de représentation et de symbolisation dans la situation groupale. Résultat Les éléments cliniques observés, nous montrent comment les objets culturels représentés dans et par les photos, ainsi que le recours à la langue maternelle de la part des participants ont tenu un statut d' objet de médiation , en ouvrant un véritable espace potentiel garant de transformation et de changement. L'objet culturel se présente ici comme un « passeur » des affects et des représentations non encore accessibles aux sujets. Discussion Les mouvements migratoires actuels ont des répercussions, sociales, politiques et psychologiques à la fois individuelles et collectives très complexes. Les problématiques concernant les migrants mineurs non-accompagnés et leur prise en charge, nous sollicitent à penser nos cadres de soin dans une dimension transculturelle et modifient nos façons de penser et de pratiquer la clinique. Les effets du colonialisme sur la psyché du sujet migrant sont davantage actuels et structurants de leur identité subjective et collective. Ces éléments nous aident d'ailleurs à une meilleure compréhension des imaginaires émergents en groupe. Conclusions Les problématiques concernant la migration dans un contexte de violences sociales et collectives, doivent être pensées à nos yeux en articulation avec la complexité des différents espaces psychiques mobilisés. De plus, ces problématiques sont remises à la fois en question, en jeu, en travail, en interrogations et parfois en échec dans un contexte transculturel. L'introduction de la médiation des images en groupe favorise, ainsi, l'articulation des différents espaces psychique et soutient la mise en mouvement des processus de lien et de représentations des affects. Abstract Aims Through the implementation of photographic mediation, we aim to show the advantages of the use of a mediation-based group system in a migratory context. The focus is on the expression of affects within a group and the articulation between the subject and the group in the setting of this particular type of treatment. Method The Photolangage® group presented here is part of a system of care and psychological support targeting unaccompanied minors. The participants were five teenagers aged 15 to 17 years from sub-Saharan Africa and Bangladesh. For the analysis we used a clinical approach liable to promote links, representations and symbolization processes in a group situation. Results The clinical elements observed show us how the cultural objects represented in and by the photographs and the use of the mother tongue by participants played the role of a mediation object , opening up a potential space enabling transformation and change. The cultural object is here a vehicle for affects and representations not yet accessible to the subjects. Discussion Current migratory movements have very complex consequences, individual, collective socio-political and psychological. Unaccompanied minors and their care force us to review our care provision in a transcultural dimension and modify our ways of thinking and practising in clinical setting. The effects of colonialism on the psyche of migrants are still alive and can structure their subjective and collective identity, enabling a better understanding of their shared representations. Conclusion The issues of migration in a context of social and collective violence need to be considered in relation to the complexity of the different psychic spaces mobilised. These issues are explored, brought into play, reappraised and sometimes invalidated in a transcultural context. The introduction of images as a form of mediation in the group favours the articulation of psychics spaces, and promotes the processes of bonding and representation of affects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie is the property of Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht GmbH & Co. KG and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In 2015, most of the refugees arriving in Germany originated from countries with poor hygienic and sanitary conditions. Stool samples of 1,230 minor refugees unaccompanied by adults were investigated for possible parasites. was by far the most frequently detected parasite (n=165); all other parasites were considerably less frequent and encountered in the following order: (n=23), (n=17), (n=8), and (n=1). was not detected among any of the screened refugees. Considerable differences in prevalence rates in refugees originating from different countries could be observed.

Infectious diseases (except tuberculosis) were screened among 1248 unaccompanied minor refugees (UMRs) arriving in Berlin in 2014-2015; 40 % originated from Syria. More than half of the refugees presented without any pathologic finding. Infections requiring treatment were diagnosed in 19.6 %, mainly infections with Giardia and intestinal helminths as well as schistosomiasis, while potentially contagious diseases were diagnosed in 15.3 % of all screened UMRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. This study is designed to provide an empirical conceptualization of daily hassles among unaccompanied refugees, and whether they might affect mental health of young refugees after resettlement. First, we examined the underlying structure of daily hassles conceptualized as measuring general and acculturation-specific hassles. Second, we examined whether these two distinct categories of daily hassles significantly contribute to depression above and beyond the impact of premigration trauma. Design. The study was based on self-report questionnaire data collected from 895 unaccompanied refugees who had been granted residence in Norway. Results. Using structural equation modeling, the results confirmed the grouping of hassles in two general categories, which explained 43% of the variance in depression. Conclusion. The findings underscore the importance of current life conditions for unaccompanied refugees' mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie Exotique is the property of John Libbey Eurotext Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Mental Health Problems of Unaccompanied and Accompanied Refugees in Childhood and Adolescence in Germany Abstract. Abstracts: Objective: This articles investigates the psychological distress and stressful life events in unaccompanied minor refugees (UMR) in adolescence and accompanied minor refugees (AMR) in childhood and adolescence living in Germany. Additionally, it analyzes the predictors of psychological distress in the adolescents. Method: We assessed 170 children and adolescents (adolescents: n = 56 UMR, n = 72 AMR; children: n = 42 AMR) using questionnaires on emotional and behavioral problems and stressful life events. In addition, we questioned the adolescents on PTSS (adolescents: self-report; children: caregiver report). Results: 45.8 % UMR (adolescents), 42.4 % AMR (adolescents), and 56.1 % AMR (children) showed emotional and behavioral problems. On average, we identified 7 stressful life events in UMR (adolescents) and 4 in AMR (adolescents, children). UMR (adolescents) reported more emotional problems, more PTSS, and more stressful life events than did AMR (adolescents). 43.8 % UMR (adolescents) and 27.9 % AMR (adolescents) reported PTSS. The number of stressful life events was found to be the most robust predictor for emotional and behavioral problems as well as PTSS in adolescents. Conclusions: The results indicate the need for psychological interventions of refugee minors in Germany.

Effectiveness of stabilization training for adolescent refugees with trauma-induced disorders: A randomized controlled trial Abstract. Unaccompanied minor refugees (UMR) are a group particularly vulnerable to mental illness. They pose a great challenge not only for child and youth psychiatric and psychotherapeutic care, but also for youth-welfare institutions. The study examines the effectiveness of Stabilization Training for Adolescent Refugees with Trauma Induced Disorders in inpatient youth-welfare facilities. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial with pre-post design in a naturalistic setting, randomly assigning 9 housing groups for UMRs to the intervention or waiting control condition. The mental stress of 46 UMRs was assessed by both self-report and educational staff-report. Two educational staff members conducted the Stabilization Training for Adolescent Refugees with Trauma Induced Disorders as an intervention in each of the respective residential groups. Results: Participation in training led to a reduction in subjective general psychological stress. At the end of the training, psychological stress in self-judgment was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the waiting control condition. The effectiveness of the training is apparently not reflected by educational staff assessments. Conclusions: Stabilization training is a suitable instrument for the preclinical care of UMR and thus an essential basis for further psychotherapy.

Various studies have indicated that unaccompanied minor refugees (UMRs) have a higher risk of suffering from mental health problems than do accompanied minor refugees and general population norm. However, only a few studies provide data on UMRs regarding post-migration risk factors, their interrelations, and their influence on mental health. In this study, system models of post-migration risk factors for mental health and their interactions were developed in the case of Austria. In three consecutive interactive workshops with scientists and practitioners, fuzzy-logic cognitive mapping techniques were used to integrate the experts' knowledge. The resulting final system model consists of 11 risk factors (e.g., social contacts in the host country, housing situation, or professional health care services). The model provides a deeper insight into the complexity of interrelated direct, indirect, and reciprocal relations, as well as self-reinforcing triads. This systemic approach provides a sound basis for further investigations, taking into account the inherent complex multifactorial dependencies in this topic.

Institutionalized and Individual Crisis Intervention Between Youth Welfare and Adolescent Psychiatry, Specified for Unaccompanied Minor Refugees Minor refugees put a challenge to the intercultural openness, including an abdication from diagnostic schemes. They need creativity, modification of treatment manuals and the therapist's ability to engage himself as a person. They need another notion of abstinence and the ability to cooperate with interpreters of language and culture. In cooperation with youth welfare institutions for unaccompanied minor refugees, principles that have been developed for institutional cooperation and individual crisis intervention plans have been modified: high threshold inpatient admission, multi-step-approach and reliability of cooperation.