Resumen

Refugees often experience many pre- and post-migration stressors, which may increase their risk of poor mental health and well-being. Literature on refugees' mental health often focuses on psychopathology and their traumatic experiences. Although emergent research highlights the importance of emphasizing protective factors, these processes are less known about Burmese refugee youth. In this study, we examine the influence of protective and risk factors associated with the mental health of Burmese refugee youth resettled in the United States (US).We assess positive well-being with the Stirling Children's Well-being Scale (SCWBS) and psychological distress with the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-D). Protective factors include family congruence, school connectedness, and resiliency. Risk factors include acculturative stress and perceived discrimination. Descriptive statistics examined the distribution of demographic characteristics and the study variables. Further, Hierarchical linear regression analysis examines the association between protective and risk factors and mental health status, controlling for demographic characteristics.Data came from a convenience sample of 133 Burmese refugee youth (55.6% girls and 44.4% boys), ranging in age from 10-17 years (Mean age=13.38,\ SD=1.99). Hierarchical linear regression analysis indicated that higher levels of school connectedness (β=.35,\ p\<.001), resilience (β=.28,\ p\<.001), and family congruence (β=.15,\ p\<.05) were significantly associated with higher levels of positive mental well-being, explaining 54.5% of the variance in SCWBS. Further, higher levels of resiliency (β=-.21,\ p\<.05) were significantly associated with lower psychological distress. On the other hand, perceived discrimination (β=.18,\ p\<.05) and acculturative stress (β=.19,\ p\<.05) were significantly associated with psychological distress, explaining 28.5% of the variance.The findings of this study indicate the need to understand protective and risk factors for mental health status among Burmese youth from refugee backgrounds. Furthermore, implications for refugee-related strategies in schools, social services, and mental health services are discussed.

Palabras Clave (separar con comas)

Refugee, youth, mental health and well-being, protective factors, risk factors, resilience

Resumen

Despite the elevated rates of psychosocial distress among individuals from a refugee background, this population has low rates of mental health help-seeking. Literature on refugee studies identifies structural and cultural barriers to seeking help for psychological problems. However, there is a lack of research on perceptions about mental health problems and mental health help-seeking behaviors among Burmese refugees. The current study examined attitudes about mental health problems and barriers to seeking mental health services among Burmese refugees  in the United States (US).Data for this study came from a convenience sample of 15 participants from four states in the US through a one-on-one in-depth phone interview. Interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by the authors following the thematic analysis procedures to identify major themes. Based on this process, four major themes emerged from the data: generational differences in perspective on mental health, adopting survival mode, stigma and misconception, and suggestions for community awareness.Respondents included ten females and four males, ranging in age from 20 to 49 (Mean age=30.21). Data analysis revealed generational differences in mental health perception. The older generation is more likely to associate mental illness with negative connotations due to a lack of awareness and exposure than the younger generation. Respondents also discussed how the older generation needed to channel their energy on survival and providing for the family and was less likely to view mental health issues as severe. In addition, the stigma of mental illness and seeing it as a weakness or not spiritual enough acts as a barrier to seeking help. Finally, data identified community awareness as a potential resource to mitigate the stigma attached to mental health problems, including culturally appropriate anti-stigma interventions and community education.The participants’ narrative highlights mental health challenges and barriers to seeking help. Implications will be discussed.

Palabras Clave (separar con comas)

Mental health, mental health help-seeking, refugee, Burmese

Resumen

In South Africa "there are an estimated 642,000 migrant and refugee children, making it the country with the largest child migrant population on the continent. In response to this, the European Union (EU), in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the UN Refugee Agency -United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), launched the EU Global Promotion of Best Practices for Children in Migration project to strengthen child protection systems and provide alternatives to immigration detention. The programme was implemented across four countries in two regions: El Salvador and Mexico in Latin America and the Caribbean Region (LACR); and South Africa and Zambia in Eastern and Southern Africa Region (ESAR). The programme's final beneficiaries are children on the move, including migrant, internally displaced, returnee, asylum seeking and refugee children; as well as children who move voluntarily or involuntarily, within or between countries, with or without their parents or other primary caregivers.The overall objective of the programme was to contribute to the effective protection of children on the move and the realisation of their rights through child protection systems that provide quality integrated services, alternative care, mental health, and psychosocial support all with a gender sensitive lens. This paper reports on promising practices identified in partnership with the local implementing organizations focusing on (i) integrated work, leveraging on other projects and interagency partnerships, (ii) Tapping into community-level knowledge to identify children on the move at risk and in need of care and create awareness, (iii) mental health and psychosocial services, (iv) critical social justice lens incorporating reflection, \ advocacy participation and intersectionality, (v) Africentric approach to practice, (vi) research and documenting practices, (vii) policy development and strategic litigation.

Palabras Clave (separar con comas)

Child Protection, Migration, Promising Practices, Transnationality

Resumen

In Slovenia, the 1960s were formative years for social work. Newly trained social workers have been gradually integrated into various social institutions, developing social work approaches in line with the social views of the era. This was also the case in the field of reproductive health. Due to restricted access after the II. World War abortion was considered a prominent social problem. Often illegal, it affected large proportion of women causing high levels of morbidity and even mortality. When legal provisions in the 1960s allowed for social indication as a legitimate reason, it quickly became predominant in applications. Their eligibility was the concern of social workers, who were included in Commissions for granting abortion. The presentation will address social context guiding the integration of social workers in the decision-making regarding social indication, as well as development of methods by social workers practicing in abortion commissions. Various historical sources reveal that they were focusing on individual women’s situation, using conversation as method for evaluating, if their individual, family, or social circumstances were legitimate to grant an abortion. Besides, as abortions were considered harmful to health, they had a role in the official prevention strategy that emphasized the use of contraceptives and sex education, but also in the detection of persistent social issues such as poverty and severe housing conditions. Development of their practice can thus help us analyze social norms under socialism and how reproductive health was positioned within the broader field of social policies. These reflected an important shift of the state focus towards creating the conditions for family planning policies consistent with socialism's goal of raising the standard of living but also with the global agenda as stated in the UN Proclamation of Teheran in 1968.

Palabras Clave (separar con comas)

Abortion, socialism, social work, social indication, Yugoslavia

Escriba aquí el título del Simposio y el nombre de quién coordina el mismo:

Historicizing the profession to respect diversity and advocate for social action in the profession; coordinator: Darja Zaviršek\