Studies show that the number of children and adolescents around the world who are forced to leave their homes for various reasons has increased. This is due to various factors, including economic instability or the consequences of climate change, war and armed conflict.
It is essential to analyze the mental health status of refugee children and young people in order to tailor interventions to their needs. An extensive body of research from different countries shows that both children and adolescents with refugee status report significantly higher rates of mental disorders. Of these the most common symptoms are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression or anxiety experienced by refugee children and adolescents, compared to those without refugee status.
While for a long time research has focused on studying the effects of children and young people’s exposure to war, over time researchers have become increasingly concerned with analyzing the impact of uprootedness, life in exile, loss of contact with home, familiar social networks on young people’s mental health.
Adolescents, children and young people, however, need to be analyzed from multiple perspectives when exposed to traumas such as war, while also considering the specificity of the developmental stages they are in. They are at an intersection between post-migration and everyday stressors, pre-existing stressors (in the country of origin) and challenges characteristic of the developmental period.
It is very important to understand which factors cause mental health disorders and analyze them temporally: before coming to a foreign country and during their stay in the host country, considering access to services, etc.
In both Romania and Moldova, understanding the mental health needs of refugee children and adolescents is crucial for shaping effective interventions. While exposure to war and violence has been a primary focus of research, recent studies highlight the long-term psychological impact of displacement, loss of home, and social uprootedness. Moreover, young refugees experience stress on multiple levels—pre-migration trauma, post-migration challenges, and the developmental struggles specific to their age group.
Therefore, we documented the situation in both Romania and Moldova for Ukrainian Men and Boys, and wrote two reports, analyzing key stressors, access to support services, and the need for policies that go beyond basic aid to ensure long-term well-being and integration.
Discover the full reports by clicking on the buttons below >>>
Also, check the images below for a quick preview!
de