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The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a Mental Health Screening Tool for Newly Arrived Pediatric Refugees

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Abstract

Many refugee children have exposure to trauma prior to arrival and during resettlement. Mental health screening in primary care among resettled refugee children is needed. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to screen refugee children age 4–18 years at their Domestic Medical Examination and three other primary care visits in their first year of resettlement. We tested the association between time and SDQ score or intervention/referral, and differences based on geographic origin. SDQ scores were highest upon arrival (Ps < .0005). Referrals were most common at the six-month visit compared to arrival and one month (Ps < .01). Iraqi children had higher SDQ scores at all visits (Ps < .03). The SDQ can be used in primary care to screen newly arrived refugee children. Practitioners should screen at arrival to identify difficulties. Those with difficulties continuing at six months may need an intervention or referral.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Tera Fazzino, PhD for her data entry and preliminary data analysis and Richard Wasserman, MD for his wisdom and review of the manuscript. The authors would also like to thank Audrey Bates and Stacy Fetchner for their data entry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA

    Andrea E. Green, Stanley J. Weinberger & Valerie S. Harder

  2. Pediatric New American Program, University of Vermont Children′s Hospital, 1 South Prospect St, Rehab 3, Burlington, VT, 05401, USA

    Andrea E. Green & Stanley J. Weinberger

  3. Departments of Psychiatry, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA

    Valerie S. Harder

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Green, A.E., Weinberger, S.J. & Harder, V.S. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire as a Mental Health Screening Tool for Newly Arrived Pediatric Refugees. J Immigrant Minority Health 23, 494–501 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-020-01082-7

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