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. 2023 Dec;54(6):1699-1709.
doi: 10.1007/s10578-022-01371-2. Epub 2022 May 19.

Psychiatric symptoms and the association with parents' psychiatric symptoms among recently arrived asylum-seeking children in Finland

Heidi Parviainen  1   2 , Olli Kiviruusu  3 , Riikka Lämsä  3   4 , Natalia Skogberg  3 , Anu E Castaneda  3 , Päivi Santalahti  3   5
Affiliations

Psychiatric symptoms and the association with parents' psychiatric symptoms among recently arrived asylum-seeking children in Finland

Heidi Parviainen et al. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

This study examined psychiatric symptoms and the association with parents' psychiatric symptoms among recently arrived accompanied asylum-seeking children in the age groups of 2-6 years (n = 93) and 7-12 years (n = 91). Children and parents were assessed using mental health and trauma measures (SDQ, HSCL-25 and PROTECT). The prevalence of total difficulties was 34.9% among 2-6-year-olds and 29.6% among 7-12-year-olds. The most common symptoms in both age groups were peer problems, followed by conduct problems among 2-6-year-olds and emotional symptoms among 7-12-year-olds. In both age groups, the children's emotional symptoms were associated with the parents' anxiety and depression as well as the trauma symptoms, while the conduct problems were only associated with the parents' trauma symptoms. In conclusion, peer problems as well as conduct problems and emotional symptoms are common among recently arrived asylum-seeking children. To support the mental health of these children, both children and parents need adequate support.

Keywords: Accompanied refugee children; Asylum-seeking children; Mental Health; Parent psychopathology; Psychiatric symptoms.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Open Access funding provided by University of Turku (UTU) including Turku University Central Hospital.

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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