Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35702899›Full record

ArticleEpidemiology and psychiatric sciences2022

The dynamic nature of refugee children's resilience: a cohort study of Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

C M Popham, F S McEwen, E Karam, J Fayyad, G Karam, D Saab, P Moghames, M Pluess

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In one paragraph

Article in Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

C M PophamDepartment of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2418-3097
F S McEwenDepartment of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
E KaramInstitute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care, Beirut, Lebanon.
J FayyadInstitute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care, Beirut, Lebanon.
G KaramInstitute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care, Beirut, Lebanon.
D SaabInstitute for Development, Research, Advocacy and Applied Care, Beirut, Lebanon.
P MoghamesMedecins du Monde, Beirut, Lebanon.
M PluessDepartment of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.

Funding

Biological Pathways of Risk and Resilience in Syrian Refugee ChildrenR01HD083387 · NICHD · UNIV/LONDON-QUEEN MARY& WESTFIELD COLL · PI KARAM, ELIE GEORGES, PLUESS, MICHAEL · 2015 to 2019
$2.2M
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development R01HD083387NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD083387
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsChildren's responses to war and displacement are varied; many struggle, while others appear resilient. However, research into these outcomes disproportionately focuses on cross-sectional data in high-income countries. We aimed to (1) investigate change in resilience across two timepoints in a highly vulnerable sample of Syrian refugee children in Lebanon, and (2) explore predictors of their mental health problems across time.

methodsIn total, 982 Syrian child-caregiver dyads living in refugee settlements in Lebanon completed questionnaires via interview at baseline and follow-up one year later. We categorised children into groups based on their risk for mental health problems across both timepoints (stable high risk/SHR, deteriorating, improving, stable low risk) according to locally validated cut-offs on measures of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and behavioural problems. Analyses of covariance identified how the groups differed on a range of individual and socio-environmental predictors, followed up by cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) to investigate the directionality of the relationships between significantly related predictors and symptoms.

resultsThe sample showed a meaningful amount of change in mental health symptoms from baseline to follow-up. Over half (56.3%) of children met SHR criteria and 10.3% deteriorated over time, but almost one-quarter (24.2%) showed meaningful improvement, and 9.2% were consistently at low risk for mental health problems at both timepoints. Several predictors differentiated the groups, particularly social measures. According to CLPMs, maternal acceptance (

conclusionsOur results show risk and resilience are dynamic, and the family environment plays a key role in children's response to war and displacement. Conversely, children also have a significant impact on the family environment and caregiver's own mental health. Interventions to promote resilience in refugee children should therefore consider family-wide mechanisms.

Indexed as

RefugeesStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticCohort StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesHumansLebanonSyriachildren and adolescentscommon mental disordersRefugeessocial environmenttrauma

Identifiers

PMID35702899
PMCPMC9228593

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.