Prevention of exclusion: the promotion of resilience in early childhood institutions in disadvantaged areas

Refugees, asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants and the experience of parenthood: a synthesis of the qualitative literature

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize the recent qualitative literature and identify the integrative themes describing the parenthood experiences of refugees, asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants.

METHODS

We searched seven online databases for the period January 2006 to February 2017. We included English and French published peer-reviewed articles and graduate-level dissertations, which qualitatively examined the parenthood experiences of refugees, asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants. We summarized study characteristics and performed a thematic analysis across the studies.

RESULTS

One hundred thirty eight studies met inclusion criteria. All but three were conducted in high-income countries, mainly in the US. Migrants studied were mostly undocumented from Latin America and refugees from Sub-Saharan Africa. Almost all studies (93%) included mothers; about half (47%) included fathers; very few (5%) included extended family members. We identified three integrative themes: 1) experiencing hardship and/or loss in the context of precarious migration and past traumas; 2) building resilience and strength by bridging language, norms and expectations; and 3) living transnationally: obligations, challenges and resources. Each theme contributed to shaping the parenthood experience; the transnationalism theme intersected with the themes on hardship and loss and resilience and strength.

CONCLUSION

More research is needed with fathers, extended family members, asylum-seekers and in the LMIC context. A transnational lens needs to be applied to programs, policies and future research for refugee, asylum-seeker and undocumented migrant parents. Addressing transnational concerns (family separation and reunification), acknowledging transnational resources, fostering a transnational family identity and conducting transnational and longitudinal studies are potentially pivotal approaches for this sub-population of parents.

Mental Health Problems Among Preschoolers in Germany: Results of the BELLA Preschool Study

In a cross-sectional study, the prevalence rates of overall and specific mental health problems (MHP), as well as consequential impairments, were examined in a representative community sample of German preschoolers. MHP in 391 children were assessed by applying the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, as well as its impact supplement. Furthermore, the child behaviour checklist 1½-5 (CBCL 1½-5) and the IOWA-Conners behaviour rating scale were applied. Prevalence rates of MHP with 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CI) were determined. Odds ratios were calculated to analyse the relationships between MHP, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographical region using logistic regression. Overall, 7.4 % of the children showed symptoms of MHP. 12.9 % of the children were considered to be impaired by psychosocial problems. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were present in 4.2 % of the children; 11.8 % showed hyperactivity symptoms. The observed prevalence rates call for early mental health prevention in preschoolers.

Imagem corporal, trauma e resiliência: reflexões sobre o papel do professor de Educação Física

Incitar à reflexão sobre promoção da resiliência no contexto escolar por meio da intervenção intencional do professor de Educação Física é a principal proposta deste ensaio. Para alcançar este propósito, as autoras apoiaram-se em informações científicas já publicadas e em suas próprias observações, oriundas de suas práticas docentes. O presente ensaio inicia-se apresentando a perspectiva psicossomática do desenvolvimento da imagem corporal, uma informação preliminar necessária para a argumentação posterior, na qual conceituamos trauma e resiliência e apontamos argumentos que preconizam o exercício físico e as experiências corporais como fontes de compensação longitudinal para lacunas na identidade corporal. Nossa argumentação se finaliza diferenciando situações de perpetuação do trauma emocional e de desenvolvimento da identidade corporal, apontando o professor de Educação Física como um tutor de resiliência por excelência.