Resettlement stressors and family factors in refugee child and adolescent psychopathology

This chapter outlines some of the main stress and protective factors for the mental health of young refugees in resettlement countries. On arrival in resettlement countries the reception for asylum seekers and refugees varies. Some, especially those in sponsored programmes, many receive high support, but many experience hostility, financial hardship, and legal uncertainties. The family may be a buffer to these adversities, but parental psychopathology and strained family relationships may contribute to childhood psychological distress and psychiatric disorder. Unaccompanied refugee minors have experienced higher levels of pre-migration adversities and losses than their accompanied peers, and so are particularly vulnerable. They are less distressed, with higher levels of support, but this may not be offered if their age is disputed. They may experience ongoing daily hassles and acculturative stress. While refugee youngsters have an elevated prevalence of psychiatric disorders especially post-traumatic stress disorder after arrival, over time most achieve improved mental health.

Teacher versus parent informant invariance of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire

Background and Objectives: Obtaining a multi-informant perspective is important when assessing psychopathology in childhood and adolescence. Obtaining ratings from both parents and teachers also facilitates the evaluation of similarities and contrasts in the nature and severity of symptoms across home and school contexts. However, these informants may differ in their interpretations of observed behaviours, raising questions about the validity of comparing parents’ and teachers’ ratings. Methods: We evaluated the cross-informant measurement invariance of one of the most widely used measures of child and adolescent psychopathology: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Using data from the UK-population representative Millennium Cohort Study we evaluated configural, metric, and scalar invariance across parents and teachers at ages 7 (n=10,221) and 11 (n=10,543). Results: Scalar invariance held at both ages. Parents reported higher levels of symptoms in all domains measured at age 11 but higher prosociality. At age 7, parents reported higher levels of symptoms in some domains (conduct problems, hyperactivity/impulsivity), lower levels of symptoms in others (emotional problems, peer problems) and higher levels of prosociality.Conclusions: For a UK sample, valid comparisons of parent and teacher SDQ ratings at ages 7 and 11 appear to be possible, facilitating the evaluation of contextual differences in psychopathology expression.

Emotion Regulation and Psychopathology in Children and Adolescents

This volume brings forefront research in emotion regulation and how processes underlying emotion regulation have a bearing on the field of child and adolescent psychopathology. The book shows continuity by initially introducing the topic of emotion and its regulation and then narrowing its scope, analyzing the role emotion regulation plays in specific disorders while critically examining current assessment and treatment strategies. This 20-chapter volume consists of four sections. The first section includes an introduction to the field of emotion regulation in adolescents, touching upon the cultural, social, biological and developmental issues related to this topic. Section two discusses several psychological disorders impacting adolescents such as anxiety, depression and conduct problems, while also discussing the underlying role emotion regulation plays in the development, maintenance and propagation of these disorders. The third section focuses on the role of emotion regulation in specific behaviour/populations, such as children of abuse and neglect and adolescents who engage in nonsuicidal self-injury. The final section conceptualizes emotional regulation as a transdiagnostic process and discusses innovative approaches to treatment that arise when viewed through this lens.