War Experience and Mental Health in Immigrant Adolescents
Author Information
Author(s): Lien Lars, Oppedal Brit, Haavet Ole Rikard, Hauff Edvard, Thoresen Magne, Bjertness Espen
Primary Institution: Institute of Psychiatry, University of Oslo
Hypothesis
Adolescents with war experience in their immigration history have more mental health problems than adolescents with no war experience.
Conclusion
War exposure is highly prevalent among immigrants living in Oslo, Norway, and parental war experience is more strongly associated with mental health problems than adolescents' own exposure to war experience.
Supporting Evidence
- 14% of adolescents reported their own war experience, with higher rates among those from Eastern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- 33% of adolescents reported parental war experience, with the highest prevalence in Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Adolescents with their own war experience had higher mental health problem scores, but only externalizing problems were statistically significant.
Takeaway
Kids who have been through war or have parents who have been through war might feel sad or act out more than kids who haven't had those experiences.
Methodology
Cross-sectional survey of 10th grade pupils in Oslo, measuring mental health problems using standardized questionnaires.
Potential Biases
Potential misclassification of war experiences and cultural differences in understanding survey questions.
Limitations
The study lacks pre-immigration history and may have recall bias regarding war experiences.
Participant Demographics
Adolescents aged 15-16, all with both parents born outside of Norway, from various immigrant backgrounds.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95%
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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