Refugee children; the recognition and treatment of psychotrauma

AI Summary

Refugee children and parents face cumulative pre, during and post-displacement stressors, increasing vulnerability to emotional and behavioural problems and family strain.
Psychotrauma symptoms may present diffusely, often as somatic complaints, and are not always readily identifiable; awareness and thorough screening are essential.
Effective treatments range from low-threshold psychosocial support to specialised care: individual therapies (EMDR, TF-CBT, KID-NET, Veerkracht) and family-focused interventions.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2026 Jul 14;170:D8912.

ABSTRACT

Refugee children and their parents face cumulative stressors before, during and after displacement. This renders them vulnerable to develop emotional and behavioral problems, often accompanied by strain on family functioning. Psychotrauma-related symptoms are not always readily identifiable in clinical practice and may present diffusely, including as somatic complaints. Awareness of possible psychotrauma symptoms and thorough screening are therefore essential. When indicated, effective treatment options are available, ranging from low-threshold psychosocial support to specialized mental health care, both individually (EMDR, TF-CBT, KID-NET, Veerkracht) and family-focused (parent-child therapy, systemic therapy, MFT).

PMID:42466860

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