Summarizes the literature on emotional disorders among refugee children. Symptoms manifested include anxiety, recurring nightmares, insomnia, introversion, relationship and behavioral problems, academic difficulties, and anorexia. Classification of these observed symptoms is a matter of debate; for example, one question is whether refugee children should be considered ill or viewed as reacting normally to a severely stressful situation that produces psychological suffering. Also debated is the extent to which the process of acculturation moderates or exaggerates the pre-migration trauma experienced by families and children. In addition, interpreting the data presented in studies can be difficult without a clear understanding of whether the psychological symptoms or adjustment problems are attributable to cultural differences, to being in a social minority, to the immigration process, or to pre-migration trauma. Three avenues for further research are suggested: (1) longitudinal studies of general populations to determine the long-term consequences of young people’s experiences as refugees; (2) development of qualitative methods to determine contextual and cultural variations that characterize a child’s environment and inner world; and (3) documentation of the types of therapy and prevention efforts employed with these populations, with attention to those that facilitate healing and independence.
