Culture and Migration: Psychological Trauma in Children and Adolescents

Important developments in the knowledge of migration, forced migration and asylum-seeking, its association with psychological trauma in childhood and adolescence, as well as in the intergenerational legacies of trauma in the family, have occurred in recent years. Trauma must be considered within a culture, because it is the cultural context that shapes the life experiences including the ones that are considered traumatic. Certainly migration has an impact on the family and a massive interference in the child’s psychological development and mental health, which can be severe if related to acculturative stress or traumatic states. Young infants can develop insecure, ambivalent, or disorganized attachment; their lack of basic trust in their surroundings can result in negative effects in their exploratory behavior and autonomy, which may be reflected in disorganized behavior. Older children and adolescents may present increased externalized aggressive behavior and/or internalized anxiety and depressive behavior. Therefore, the models for trauma treatment in childhood must integrate the individual’s actual psychological development with elements of the original and host cultures, including societal belief systems, community, neighborhood, family, and individual aspects. The way these elements interrelate and the risk and protective factors related to the child’s resilience and psychological resources to overcome primary or secondary traumas must also be taken into account, are discussed in depth in this article