Conducting the Mental Health Assessment for Child and Adolescent Refugees

Abstract

Conducting a mental health assessment for child and adolescent refugees is a critical aspect of understanding not only the child’s emotional and behavioral distress but also the influence of one’s socio-cultural environment that may be contributing or helping the child. In this chapter, we will provide a brief overview of how to conduct a mental health assessment for a refugee child. First, we will discuss ways to gather information from the referral source, child, and caregiver, to ultimately guide treatment and interventions. Such information includes reason for referral, mental health concerns, trauma history, developmental and behavioral history, somatic concerns, safety concerns, and strengths and protective factors. Second, we discuss structural aspects of the assessment, including confidentiality, the assessment process, clinician role, expectations, and consent for requesting information from other sources. Third, we highlight the importance of using a developmental lens as well as a socio-ecological approach that emphasizes the impact of family, culture, and community on a child’s well-being. Finally, we summarize the above components of the assessment into the development of a case formulation, a coherent, distilled, nuanced hypothesis that aims to understand the child’s presenting problem and to inform the care plan.