Survival states as indicators of learning performance and biological stress in refugee children: a cross-sectional study with a comparison group

BMC Psychiatry - Tập 21 - Trang 1-11 - 2021
Andrea Hahnefeld1,2, Thorsten Sukale3, Elena Weigand4, Katharina Münch1,2, Sigrid Aberl5, Lea V. Eckler1, Davin Schmidt1, Anna Friedmann1, Paul L. Plener3,6, Jörg M. Fegert3, Volker Mall1,2
1Chair of Social Pediatrics, TUM School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, kbo Kinderzentrum, Munich, Germany
2kbo Kinderzentrum, Munich, Germany
3Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, Steinhövelstraße 5, Ulm, Germany
4Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
5Munich Municipal Hospital Group, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychosomatic Medicine, Munich, Germany
6Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Wien, Austria

Tóm tắt

Our goal was to accurately detect young children at risk for long-term psychiatric disturbances after potentially traumatic experiences in the course of relocation. In addition to detailed assessment of parent-rated parent and child symptomatology, we focused on disruptive behaviors in the education environment summarized as survival states, as these frequently lead to clinical referral. We screened 52 refugee children aged 3–7 (M = 5.14 years, SD = 1.17) for symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screening (CATS) in parent rating. The parents’ mental health was assessed using the Refugee Health Screener (RHS-15). Furthermore, the child’s educators were asked to evaluate the pathological survival states of the child and we made a general assessment of the children’s symptoms with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) rated by parents and educators. Children in the refugee sample completed a working memory learning task (Subtest Atlantis from the Kaufmann Assessment Battery for Children, KABC-II) and delivered saliva samples for testing of the cortisol level. The parental rating of their child’s PTSD symptoms was significantly related to their own mental well-being (r = .50, p < .001). Children with survival states in educator ratings exhibited weaker learning performance (F = 3.49, p < .05) and higher evening cortisol levels (U = 113, z = − 1.7, p < .05, one-tailed). Survival states are promising indicators for children’s learning performance and distress level complementary to parent rating of child PTSD, which is highly intercorrelated with the parents’ own symptom load. Trial registration number: DRKS00021150 on DRKS Date of registration: 04.08.2020 retrospectively registered

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BMC Psychiatry

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