Born in displacement: Psychosocial and mental health impacts of country of birth among urban Somali refugee youth

摘要

Urban refugees often face tremendous adversities during displacementthat exacerbate mental health and psychosocial outcomes. Given thelack of research on how extended displacement affects mental health inurban refugee youth, this study examines the differential effects ofcountry of birth on trauma exposure and psychosocial factors thatinfluence mental health experiences among Somali refugee youth inurban Kenya (n = 303). Findings reveals that childhood trauma andimpeded social functioning predicted mental health outcomes. Beingborn in Kenya was a significant predictor of poor mental health despitethere being no significant difference in trauma exposures andpsychosocial factors between Somali-born and Kenya-born youth. Thisdifference can be attributed to prolonged displacement, disrupteddevelopment of cultural identity, and discrimination experienced in thehost country. Given the widely devastating effects of childhood traumaand community violence, mental health interventions need to be twoprolonged:addressing and preventing intergenerational traumasequelae through family-based interventions; and community-levelprograms and advocacy for safety and protection for the displaced. Ourfindings also emphasize that future interventions for urban refugeecommunities should be inclusive to all community members,considering shared vulnerability to community violence as well asintergenerational transmission of traumas through childhood adversitiesand lacking support.