The Mental Health of Refugee Children and Their Cultural Development

Abstract

A large proportion of Indochinese refugees are children. This article suggests that uprooted children may experience powerful grief, not only in response to personal loss of loved ones, but also to loss of their culture. It is further postulated that personal bereavement and cultural bereavement are complementary, which can be an important factor in a refugee child's adjustment. These children are vulnerable to “disrupted development time” and so earlier losses of family and culture can seed problems which can emerge after resettlement.