The first 131 traumatized refugee children evaluated and treated in a child specialy clinic indicated a wide variety of trauma including war-related traumas for areas of recent conflict and domestic violence predominantly occurring in patients from Mexico and Latin America. Clinical diagnoses indicate PTCD was common in the war trauma group but was found less in the domestic violence group. Otherwise, the refugee clinic population showed a wide variety of diagnoses, including having learning or cognitive disability or clear mental retardation. The traumatized refugee children had a similar prevalence of PTSD and depression to a comparable group of American child psychiatry patients. Refugee children have faced a variety of traumas and have a variety of diagnoses. All traumatized refugee children need an individualized evaluation and treatment plan. Trauma focused therapy is not appropriate for all refugee children. (Description from source)
