Social cognition in refugee children : An experimental cross-sectional study of emotional processing with Syrian families in Turkish communities

• More than 5.6 million people have fled Syria since 2011, about half of them children. These children grow up with parents that often suffer from war-related mental health problems. In this study, we assess emotional processing abilities of 6–18 year- old children growing up in families that have fled from Syria and reside in Turkish communities (100 families, 394 individuals). We demonstrate that mothers’, but not fathers’, post-traumatic stress (PTS) impacts children’s emotional processing abilities. A 4% reduction of mothers’ PTS was equivalent to 1 year of development in children, even when controlling for parents’ traumatic experiences. Making a small investment in increased mental health of refugee mothers might have a positive impact on the lives of their children.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

PTS

HTQ

war

emotion

face

Psychology

Psykologi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)