The psychosocial needs of refugee children and youth and best practices for filling these needs: A systematic review

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Abstract

Conflict across the globe has displaced over 16.1 million refugees, with approximately half under the age of 18. Despite the number of young refugees, there is a dearth of research reporting on the needs of refugee children and youth. The purpose of this systematic review is to begin to fill this gap by summarizing what we know about the needs of refugee children and youth (5–18 years old). Eighteen manuscripts met the study inclusion criteria. In these studies, the identified needs of refugee children and youth were primarily in the domains of social support, security, culture, and education. Several strategies were identified as facilitating their integration, such as mentorship programs. The current review can help inform future integration programs designed for refugee children and youth. Supporting the integration of refugee children and youth, and their families, promotes positive outcomes and is beneficial for both refugees and members of host communities.

Citation

Relevant Evidence Summaries

The evidence was reviewed and included in the following summaries: 

What is the impact of mentoring on social-emotional and academic outcomes of youth from immigrant and refugee families?

This evidence summary, authored by Switchboard, provides an insightful overview of the current landscape of research on mentoring, both formal and informal, and its impact on the social-emotional well-being and academic success of youth from immigrant and refugee families in the United States. There is moderate to strong evidence that mentoring enhances educational aspirations. A […]

About this study

AGE: Multiple Age Groups

DIRECTION OF EVIDENCE: Positive impact

FULL TEXT AVAILABILITY: Paid

GENDER: All

HOST COUNTRY: Multiple countries

HOST COUNTRY INCOME: High

POPULATION: Refugees

REGION OF ORIGIN OF PARTICIPANT(S): Multiple Regions

STRENGTH OF EVIDENCE: Moderate

TYPE OF STUDY: Systematic review

YEAR PUBLISHED: 2018

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