In the past decade, there has been a significant increase in the forced migrant and refugee population in Europe. As the journey to arrive at the country of destination is mostly irregular, research has shown that forced migrants survive a number of traumatic experiences trying to reach safety and ensure the well-being of themselves and their families. Since research shows that exposure to traumatic experiences refugee and migrant families endure on their journey is severe, a systematic literature review was conducted to understand the concept of trauma-informed approaches for migrant and refugee families. A total of seven research databases have been a part of this study, and the search resulted in 45 papers that were analyzed and their results presented. The following inclusion criteria were considered: (a) migrant/refugee families living with their children and (b) migrant/refugee families approaching care (health, social, educational, legal). Inclusion criteria refer to phenomenological studies, consider trauma/resilience of migrant/refugee families, include studies that are published in English language only; published literature only; 2013 onwards, and only full-text studies. The results of this analysis imply that papers are more focused on the experiences of trauma than on the approaches to treat it. However, this analysis did result in identifying approaches, interventions, and tools in working with trauma refugee and migrant families. Trauma-informed approaches for forced migrant families require a culturally adapted response provided across all sectors of family support to refugees and migrants.
Al-HamadA.ForchukC.OudshoornA.MckinleyG. P. (2022). Listening to the voices of Syrian refugee women in Canada: An ethnographic insight into the journey from trauma to adaptation. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 24(3), 1017–1037. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-022-00991-w
AllanN. P.ShortN. A.AlbaneseB. J.KeoughM. E.SchmidtN. B. (2015). Direct and mediating effects of an anxiety sensitivity intervention on posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in trauma-exposed individuals. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 44(6), 512–524. https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2015.1075227
4.
AtaullahjanA.GaffeyM. F.SamiS.SinghN. S.TappisH.BlackR. E.BlanchetK.BoermaT.LangerA.SpiegelP. B.WaldmanR. J.WiseP. H.BhuttaZ. A. (2020). Investigating the delivery of health and nutrition interventions for women and children in conflict settings: A collection of case studies from the BRANCH Consortium. Conflict and Health, 14(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-020-00276-y
5.
Barajas-GonzalezR. G.AyónC.BrabeckK.Rojas-FloresL.ValdezC. R. (2021). An ecological expansion of the adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) framework to include threat and deprivation associated with US immigration policies and enforcement practices: An examination of the Latinx immigrant experience. Social Science & Medicine, 282, 114126.
BjekicJ.Vukcevic MarkovicM.TodorovicN.VracevicM. (2020). Mental health of refugees and migrants. Red Cross of Serbia.
9.
BrooksN.HonnavalliV.Jacobson-LangB. (2022). Children of ISIS: Considerations regarding trauma, treatment and risk. Psychiatry, Psychology and Law, 29(1), 107–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/13218719.2021.1904448
10.
CrenshawK. (1991). Mapping the margins: Intersectionality, identity politics, and violence against women of color. Stanford Law Review, 43, 1241–1299.
11.
CritelliF. M. (2014). Parenting in a new land: Specialized services for immigrant and refugee families in the USA. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 16, 871–890.
12.
DalgaardN. T.MontgomeryE. (2015). Disclosure and silencing: A systematic review of the literature on patterns of trauma communication in refugee families. Transcultural Psychiatry, 52(5), 579–593.
13.
DalgaardN. T.ToddB. K.DanielS. I.MontgomeryE. (2016). The transmission of trauma in refugee families: Associations between intra-family trauma communication style, children’s attachment security and psychosocial adjustment. Attachment & Human Development, 18(1), 69–89. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616734.2015.1113305
14.
DasB. (2019). Mental health trauma treatment within the current Mediterranean refugee crisis. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 41(4), 481–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-018-9362-y
15.
DavisS. H.WinerJ. P.GillespieS. C.MulderL. A. (2021). The refugee and immigrant core stressors toolkit (RICST): Understanding the multifaceted needs of refugee and immigrant youth and families through a four core stressors framework. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 6(4), 620–630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41347-021-00218-2
16.
El-KhaniA.MaaloufW.BakerD. A.ZahraN.NoubaniA.CartwrightK. (2020). Caregiving for children through conflict and displacement: A pilot study testing the feasibility of delivering and evaluating a light touch parenting intervention for caregivers in the West Bank. International Journal of Psychology, 55(1), 26–39. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12591
17.
EllisB. H.MillerA. B.AbdiS.BarrettC.BloodE. A.BetancourtT. S. (2013). Multi-Tier mental health program for refugee youth. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(1), 129–140. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029844
FragkiadakiE.GhafooriB.TrilivaS.SfakianakiR. (2020). A pilot study of a trauma training for healthcare workers serving refugees in Greece: Perceptions of feasibility of task-Shifting trauma-informed care. Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment & Trauma, 29(4), 442–460. https://doi.org/10.1080/10926771.2019.1662866
20.
FrancoF. (2022). Recognizing and treating complex post-traumatic stress disorder in refugee children. Journal of Infant, Child, and Adolescent Psychotherapy, 21(3), 262–269. https://doi.org/10.1080/15289168.2022.2094674
21.
GençE. (2022). The effectiveness of trauma treatment approaches in refugee children and adolescents: A systematic review. Children and Youth Services Review, 141(12), 106602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106602
22.
GrantJ.GuerinP. B. (2014). Applying ecological modelling to parenting for Australian refugee families. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 25(4), 325–333. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659614523468
23.
GreeneC. A.ChanG.McCarthyK. J.WakschlagL. S.Briggs-GowanM. J. (2018). Psychological and physical intimate partner violence and young children’s mental health: The role of maternal posttraumatic stress symptoms and parenting behaviors. Child Abuse & Neglect, 77, 168–179.
24.
GroeninckM.MeursP.GeldofD.Van AckerK.WiewautersC. (2020). Resilience in liminality: How resilient moves are being negotiated by asylum-seeking families in the liminal context of asylum procedures. Journal of Refugee Studies, 33(2), 358–370.
25.
HuntleyF.UlphF.El-KhaniA.CalamR. (2021). The parenting process in Syrian refugees: A grounded theory study. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology, 27(1), 67–80. https://doi.org/10.1037/pac0000533
26.
ImH.SwanL. E. (2021). “We learn and teach each other”: Interactive training for cross-cultural trauma-informed care in the refugee community. Community Mental Health Journal, 58(5), 917–929. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00899-2
27.
ImH.SwanL. E. (2022). Factors influencing improvement of trauma-related symptoms among Somali refugee youth in urban Kenya. Community Mental Health Journal, 58(6), 1179–1190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-021-00928-0
28.
ImH.RodriguezC.GrumbineJ. M. (2021). A multitier model of refugee mental health and psychosocial support in resettlement: Toward trauma-informed and culture-informed systems of care. Psychological Services, 18(3), 345–364. https://doi.org/10.1037/ser0000412
JovanovicK.BesedicJ. (2020). Struggling to survive: Unaccompanied and separated children travelling the Western Balkans Route. Save the Children International, Save the Children North West Balkans.
31.
LambC. S. (2020). Constructing early childhood services as culturally credible trauma-recovery environments: Participatory barriers and enablers for refugee families. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 28(1), 129–48. https://doi.org/10.1080/1350293X.2020.1707368
32.
LambertJ. E.HolzerJ.HasbunA. (2014). Association between parents’ PTSD severity and children’s psychological distress: A meta-analysis. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 27(1), 9–17.
33.
LeeS. Y.ChoiG. Y. (2022). Intimate partner violence among Korean immigrant women in the United States: Intersectionality of gender norms, immigration, and socioeconomic status. Journal of Family Issues, 43(6), 1411–1435. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X211017945
34.
LeungM. M. (2019). Tragic optimism: An integrative meaning-centred approach to trauma treatment. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 32(3–4), 529–547. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2019.1633497
35.
LimaP. D.BernabèS.BubbicoS. L.LeonardoS.WeissC. (2016). Migration and the EU: Challenges, opportunities, the role of EIB. European Investment Bank.
36.
LuzzattoP.A. NdagabweneE. F.KimathyG.LemaI.LikindikokiS. (2022). Trauma treatment through art therapy (TT-AT): A “women and trauma” group in Tanzania. International Journal of Art Therapy, 27(1), 36–43. https://doi.org/10.1080/17454832.2021.1957958
37.
McGuinnessL. A.HigginsJ. P. T. (2020). Risk-of-bias VISualization (robvis): An R package and Shiny web app for visualizing risk-of-bias assessments. Research Synthesis Methods, 12(1), 55–61. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1411
38.
Meléndez GuevaraA. M.Lindstrom JohnsonS.ElamK.HilleyC.McintireC.MorrisK. (2021). Culturally responsive trauma-informed services: A multilevel perspective from practitioners serving Latinx children and families. Community Mental Health Journal, 57, 325–339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00651-2
39.
MoherD.ShamseerL.ClarkeM.GhersiD.LiberatiA.PetticrewM.ShekelleP.StewartL. A. (2015). Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement. Systematic Reviews, 4(1), 1–9. https://doi:10.1186/2046-4053-4-1
40.
MorrisA.Gabert-QuillenC.DelahantyD. (2012). The association between parent PTSD/depression symptoms and child PTSD symptoms. A meta-analysis. Journal of Paediatric Psychology, 37, 1076–1088.
41.
NeMoyerA.RodriguezT.AlvarezK. (2019). Psychological practice with unaccompanied immigrant minors: Clinical and legal considerations. Translational Issues in Psychological Science, 5(1), 4–16. https://doi.org/10.1037/tps0000175
42.
NordströmT.KalmendalA.BatinovicL. (2023). Risk of bias and open science practices in systematic reviews of educational effectiveness: A meta-review. Review of Education, 11(3), e3443. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/WXFDJ
43.
OpaasM.Wentzel-LarsenT.VarvinS. (2020). The 10-year course of mental health, quality of life, and exile life functioning in traumatized refugees from treatment start. PLoS One, 15(12), e0244730.
44.
PapadopoulosI.LazzarinoR.SakellarakiO.DadãuV.ApostolaraP.Kuckert WöstheinrichA.MauceriM.KoutaC. (2022). Empowering refugee families in transit: The development of a culturally competent and compassionate training and support package. Journal of Research in Nursing, 27(3), 200–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/17449871211018736
RanjbarN.ErbM.MohammadO.MorenoF. A. (2020). Trauma-informed care and cultural humility in the mental health care of people from minoritized communities. Focus, 18(1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20190027
47.
RousseauC.GuzderJ.Santhanam-MartinR.de la AldeaE. (2014). Trauma, culture, and clinical work: The “House of Stories” as a pedagogical approach to transcultural training. Traumatology, 20(3), 191–198. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0099850
48.
SangalangC. C.VangC. (2017). Intergenerational trauma in refugee families: A systematic review. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 19, 745–754.
49.
SharpeM. (2018). Mixed up: International law and the meaning (s) of “mixed migration”. Refugee Survey Quarterly, 37(1), 116–138. https://doi.org/10.1093/rsq/hdx021
50.
ShymanskaC.KuryloM.KarmazaO.TimchenkoG. (2017). Determinants of migration motives as a precondition for the migration flows formation. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 3, 352–364.
51.
SlobodinO.de JongJ. T. (2015). Mental health interventions for traumatized asylum seekers and refugees: What do we know about their efficacy?International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 61(1), 17–26. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764014535752
52.
TervalonM.Murray-GarcíaJ. (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural competence: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicultural education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 9, 117–125.
53.
ThirkleSA.KenedyA.SiceP. (2021). Instruments for exploring trauma-informed care. Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, 44(1), 30–44. https://doi.org/10.37808/jhhsa.44.1.2
54.
TimshelI.MontgomeryE.DalgaardN. T. (2017). A systematic review of risk and protective factors associated with family related violence in refugee families. Child Abuse & Neglect, 70, 315–330. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.06.023
UyK. K.OkuboY. (2018). Re-storying the trauma narrative: Fostering posttraumatic growth in Cambodian refugee women. Women & Therapy, 41(3–4), 219–236. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2018.1425025
58.
Van EeE. (2018). Multi-family therapy for veteran and refugee families: A Delphi study. Military Medical Research, 5, 1–6.
59.
Van EsC. M.BoelenP. A.ZwaanswijkM.Te BrakeH.MoorenT. (2021). Family Empowerment (FAME): A feasibility trial of preventive multifamily groups for asylum seeker families in the Netherlands. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 47(4), 864–881. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12539
60.
WeineS. M.ArënliuA.GörmezV.LageneckerS.DemirtasH. (2021). Conducting research on building psychosocial support for Syrian refugee families in a humanitarian emergency. Conflict and Health, 15(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-021-00365-6
61.
World Bank. (2023). World development report 2023: Migrants, refugees, and societies.
62.
YohaniS.KirovaA.GeorgisR.GokiertR.MejiaT.ChiuY. (2019). Cultural brokering with Syrian refugee families with young children: An exploration of challenges and best practices in psychosocial adaptation. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 20, 1181–1202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12134-019-00651-6
ZegaracN.PerisicN.Burgund IsakovA.LoncarevicK.MarkovicV. (2021). Zaštita dece u migracijama: Pristup zasnovan na pravima [Protection of Children in Migration: Child-rights based approach]. University of Belgrade Faculty of Political Science.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
