Family separation and mental health among refugees
Citation: Ali-Naqvi O, Alburak TA, Selvan K, et al. Exploring the impact of family separation on refugee mental health: a systematic review and meta-narrative analysis. Psychiatric Quarterly. 2023;94(1):61-77.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: No.
Funding sources: Nothing noted.
What is this? In this systematic review, the authors searched for articles related to the psychological impact of family separation among refugees aged 15 years or older. They searched in August 2022 and restricted their findings to articles published in English. The authors included 20 articles from Australia (6), Canada (1), Germany (2), Netherlands (2), Norway (1), Papua New Guinea (2), Iraq (1), South Africa (1), and the United States of America (4). This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42022316183.
What was found: Family separation among refugees was associated with a range of mental health conditions, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Family networks were beneficial for mental health before and after migration.
Implications: The authors of the review stated that their findings contributed to the correlation between familial separation and mental health risks among those seeking asylum. They encouraged resettlement agencies and government officials to prioritise family reunification among refugees to reduce the risks of mental illness and facilitate integration into host countries.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discussed their findings in the context of place of residence, race, ethnicity, culture, and language.
This summary was prepared by Joly Ghanawi, checked by Grace Meng, and finalized by William Summerskill.