The Relationship Between Psychological Well-Being and Adjustment of Both Parents and Children of Exiled and Traumatized Iraqi Refugees

Research involving both children's problems and those of their parents who experienced displacement, war, civil strife, and multiple traumas or distress while living in unfamiliar environments (dissimilar host culture) is extremely limited. This study has examined the relationship between psychological well-being and adjustment (in the host culture) of samples of both parents and children of exiled and traumatized Iraqi refugees in London. Participants included in this study were Arab and Kurdish Iraqi refugees; 61 families (mainly adult participants) with a total number of 162 children. The sample consisted of both parents and children who were, at the time of conducting this research (2003–2004), residing in various boroughs of London. The 30-item version of General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and a short and modified version of the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) questionnaire were used. Both of these measures have been translated and used in different cultures with success. Parents were asked to complete both the GHQ and the CBCL; on the latter, parents were asked to reflect on any problems (including psychosocial and behavioral symptoms of ill health) which may have manifested themselves in the recent past among their children. The main results of this study appear to indicate that the estimated level of distress among parents who completed the GHQ was very high, with 52.46% of the sample reaching the threshold level. It also suggests that parents or adult refugees in this study manifested poor mental health and this, in turn, was found to be associated positively with children's poor adjustment in the host culture. Further results of t tests revealed that there were no significant differences found between male and female scores on the GHQ. Educational background was not a significant factor in determining the adjustment or the level of distress among the population of this study. Larger family size and refugee parents who had more than one child at home appeared to show vulnerability to distress more than those who had smaller families. Newly arrived refugees seemed to score higher on the GHQ than participants who had been in the host culture for a longer period of time. The major findings of this study were discussed in relation to culture learning theory, acculturation paradigm, U-curve theory, and the multidimensional model of adjustment. The latter seem to reflect on several factors associated with adjustment problems, including the prearrival phase and the new demands of the new host culture. Finally, the results of this investigation suggest that emotional and adjustment problems manifested among children of refugee families will not disappear without proper intervention programs or proper consideration of all risk factors, including family circumstances and previous parental psychopathology.