Lending a Hand to Our Future: PTSD in Refugee Children and Youth

Immigrant and refugee children and youth are the fastest growing segment of Canadian society, but their mental health is too often overlooked even though their high rates of symptoms are increasingly of concern. These children and youth face the same developmental challenges as other children, but migration and resettlement amplify challenges and also create additional risks. Although a literature about the effects of immigrant family life on the mental health of children exists, very little research has examined the specific extent and implications of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among refugee children and youth. In addition, the best practice intervention strategies that most optimally support their mental health difficulties have not been evaluated. This study investigates the effectiveness of a treatment intervention in a sample of refugee children: Narrative Exposure Therapy or NET and KIDNET (developed for younger children), selected due to their documented superiority relative to other forms of treatment for children and youth with PTSD.