Depressive symptomatology and service utilisation among refugee children and adolescents living in South Australia

Tahereh Ziaian; Helena de Anstiss; Georgia Antoniou; Michael Sawyer; Peter Baghurst

doi:10.1111/j.1475-3588.2011.00620.x

Depressive symptomatology and service utilisation among refugee children and adolescents living in South Australia

Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2012 Sep;17(3):146-152. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2011.00620.x. Epub 2011 Sep 5.

Authors

Tahereh Ziaian¹, Helena de Anstiss¹, Georgia Antoniou², Michael Sawyer³, Peter Baghurst²

Affiliations

¹ University of South Australia - City East Campus, Australia Email: tahereh.ziaian@unisa.edu.au.
² Public Health Research Unit, Women's and Children's Hospital, Children, Youth and Women's Health Service, North Adelaide 5006, Australia.
³ Research and Evaluation Unit, Women's and Children's Hospital, Children, Youth and Women's Health Service, North Adelaide 5006, Australia.

PMID: 32847268
DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-3588.2011.00620.x

Abstract

Background: Young refugees resettled in Western countries are at increased risk of mental health problems. However, most research has centred on post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with depression, other mental health disorders, and problems receiving comparatively less attention.

Method: Depressive symptomatology was assessed using the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) in a multiethnic community sample of 348 refugee children (n = 180) and adolescents (n = 168) aged 7-17 years living in South Australia.

Results: According to parent reports, 7.1% of children and adolescents had depressive symptomatology for which services were available and yet only 21.5% of these accessed services.

Conclusions: Young refugees need improved access to culturally appropriate mental health care.

Keywords: Refugee children; depressive symptomatology; service utilisation.