More than half of the 25.9 million refugees in the world are under the age of 18 and the mental health of these children and adolescents constitutes a growing global public health priority. Refugee children and their families are at increased risk to develop mental health problems, but they often face major challenges in accessing adequate treatment and mental health professionals frequently feel ill-equipped to assist this group. Refugees are faced with a plethora of issues including the ambiguous loss of loved ones, psychological trauma related to past experiences of violence and atrocities, the complexities of daily life as a refugee, and the challenges to adapt to new systems of care and support. Refugees’ life circumstances all too often undermine their agency, asthey face discrimination, stigma, and social isolation or exclusion. Refugees are frequently disconnected from the usual family and community supports that they once had, which creates additional mental distress. As parents struggle with these changes, their children often find it even more difficult to adapt and connect with them. This all leads to increased prevalence of mental health conditions among refugees. Humanitarian policies recommend family-centered interventions that are multi-sectoral,multi-disciplinary, and focus on optimizing resource utilization. Over the last decade, a considerable body of research has emerged around socio-ecological models of mental health, family and community approaches, and resilience and strengths-based theories, but these insights are insufficiently incorporated in the practice of mental health care for refugee children. Clinicians often struggle to grasp the common unique stressors that families face and are not familiar with working with families as units for intervention. Using culturally and contextually informed assessment methods and family-oriented management approaches not only help individual children or adolescents, but also their families. This book aims to provide an overview of the latest theoretical insights from research on sociocultural aspects of mental health and connect these with clinical insights from practical mental health care provision. Using strengths-based, resiliency-oriented and family-centered approaches can enrich clinical practice in refugee mental health, but clinicians need to translate the emerging evidence into concrete steps and interventions. This requires additional skills for the assessment and management of mental health conditions in refugee children and families. The chapters in this book are written by a diverse group of authors using global, multi-disciplinary approaches. The chapters provide examples from various contexts including refugees who are displaced to neighboring countries, refugees ‘on the move’, and refugees and asylum seekers in resettlement settings. This book is therefore a unique resource for clinicians, researchers and policy makers working on mental health issues of refugee children and adolescents around the world.

This book provides a framework to guide mental health providers who work with refugees and immigrants. Nearly 70 million people today are refugees or forcibly-displaced migrants. More than half of them are children suffering from the effects of dislocation and violence. The authors describe the unique needs and challenges of serving these populations, and offer concrete steps for providing evidence-based, culturally-responsive care. Using the socioecological model, the authors conceptualize the developing child as living within concentric circles that include family, school, neighborhood, and society, embedded within a cultural context. Mental health providers identify and provide targeted support to combat disruptions within any or all of these ecological layers. Chapters examine the complex ways in which culture impacts the refugee experience, barriers to engagement in mental health practice and strategies for overcoming them, assessment, collaborative and integrated mental health interventions, and efforts to increase resilience in children, families, and communities. The book is an essential guide for mental health providers, and all who seek to help children in need.

This important new book explores how to support refugee family relationships in promoting post-trauma recovery and adaptation in exile.

In this issue of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics, guest editors Drs. Meg Cary, Joshua Feder, and Alison Ward bring their considerable expertise to the topic of Behavioral Health Needs of Migrant Youth. Top experts in the field discuss the most recent information on policy, practices, and systems of care approaches regarding serving the mental health needs of immigrant and refugee children, youth, and their families. This issue highlights trauma-informed practices, cultural considerations, and systems of care. Contains 14 relevant, practice-oriented topics including advocacy and policy; trauma-informed best practices and resiliency; ensuring early intervention and sustained recovery for migrant youth through a systems of care approach; social determinants, challenges, resilience, strength, and protective qualities; two bonus editorials; and more. Provides in-depth clinical reviews on behavioral health needs of migrant youth, offering actionable insights for clinical practice. Presents the latest information on this timely, focused topic under the leadership of experienced editors in the field. Authors synthesize and distill the latest research and practice guidelines to create clinically significant, topic-based reviews.

Research has shown that a range of adult psychiatric disorders and mental health problems originate at an early age, yet the psychiatric symptoms of an increasing number of children and adolescents are going unrecognized and untreated—there are simply not enough child psychiatric providers to meet this steadily rising demand. It is vital that advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and primary care practitioners take active roles in assessing behavioral health presentations and work collaboratively with families and other healthcare professionals to ensure that all children and adolescents receive appropriate treatment. Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health helps APRNs address the mental health needs of this vulnerable population, providing practical guidance on assessment guidelines, intervention and treatment strategies, indications for consultation, collaboration, referral, and more. Now in its second edition, this comprehensive and timely resource has been fully updated to include DSM-5 criteria and the latest guidance on assessing, diagnosing, and treating the most common behavioral health issues facing young people. New and expanded chapters cover topics including eating disorders, bullying and victimization, LGBTQ identity issues, and conducting research with high-risk children and adolescents. Edited and written by a team of accomplished child psychiatric and primary care practitioners, this authoritative volume: Provides state-of-the-art knowledge about specific psychiatric and behavioral health issues in multiple care settings Reviews the clinical manifestation and etiology of behavioral disorders, risk and management issues, and implications for practice, research, and education Offers approaches for interviewing children and adolescents, and strategies for integrating physical and psychiatric screening Discusses special topics such as legal and ethical issues, cultural influences, the needs of immigrant children, and child and adolescent mental health policy Features a new companion website containing clinical case studies to apply concepts from the chapters Designed to specifically address the issues faced by APRNs, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health is essential reading for nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, particularly those working in family, pediatric, community health, psychiatric, and mental health settings. *Second Place in the Child Health Category, 2021 American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Awards*