Júlia de Freitas Girardi1, Diana Miconi2, Claire Lyke3, Cécile Rousseau2. 1. Laboratoire Cliniques Pathologique et Interculturelle (LCPI), Université de Toulouse II-Jean Jaurès, France. 2. Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, McGill University, Canada. 3. Centre de Recherche SHERPA, Canada.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Considering the growing number of asylum-seeking children worldwide, research on interventions which may buffer the effects of early resettlement conditions on asylum-seeking children's adjustment is warranted. In Canada, creative expressive workshops for asylum-seeking children and adolescents were implemented as a Psychological First Aid (PFA) intervention in temporary shelters. The present exploratory study aims to describe the implementation of these workshops to assess whether the intervention met core elements of PFA and explore its potential in supporting the diverse needs of asylum-seeking youth in temporary shelters, adopting a process-evaluation research approach. METHOD: The intervention was evaluated via a qualitative thematic analysis of extensive field and supervision notes and focus groups with facilitators. RESULTS: Preliminary results suggest that the intervention contributed to fostering emotional safety and a sense of normalcy in children and supported the creation of connections among both children and parents. Children's expression of past and present experiences during the workshops was seen as a way to promote self-efficacy in children and was reported as a potential way to provide some comfort and hope in a time of high instability. However, the high needs of children and the lack of resources in the temporary shelters represented significant challenges and barriers. CONCLUSIONS: PFA using creative expression may be a promising youth mental health prevention intervention in temporary shelters.
BACKGROUND: Considering the growing number of asylum-seeking children worldwide, research on interventions which may buffer the effects of early resettlement conditions on asylum-seeking children's adjustment is warranted. In Canada, creative expressive workshops for asylum-seeking children and adolescents were implemented as a Psychological First Aid (PFA) intervention in temporary shelters. The present exploratory study aims to describe the implementation of these workshops to assess whether the intervention met core elements of PFA and explore its potential in supporting the diverse needs of asylum-seeking youth in temporary shelters, adopting a process-evaluation research approach. METHOD: The intervention was evaluated via a qualitative thematic analysis of extensive field and supervision notes and focus groups with facilitators. RESULTS: Preliminary results suggest that the intervention contributed to fostering emotional safety and a sense of normalcy in children and supported the creation of connections among both children and parents. Children's expression of past and present experiences during the workshops was seen as a way to promote self-efficacy in children and was reported as a potential way to provide some comfort and hope in a time of high instability. However, the high needs of children and the lack of resources in the temporary shelters represented significant challenges and barriers. CONCLUSIONS: PFA using creative expression may be a promising youth mental health prevention intervention in temporary shelters.
Entities:
Keywords:
Psychological First Aid; arts and play; asylum seekers; children and adolescents; creativity; refugees
Authors: Melissa Kimber; Sheila Harms; Noam Soreni; Maggie Inrig; Anita Acai; Ellen Louise Lipman; Roberto Sassi; David L Streiner; Harriet L MacMillan Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-05-05 Impact factor: 2.692