1- Médico Interno, Psiquiatria da Infância e da Adolescência, Área da Mulher, Criança e Adolescente, Hospital Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, Lisboa.
2- Médico Especialista, Psiquiatria da Infância e da Adolescência, Área da Mulher, Criança e Adolescente, Hospital Dona Estefânia, Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Lisboa Central, Lisboa.
- Congresso internacional: póster apresentado no World Congress of Psychiatry 2019.
Introdução: In 2016 there were about 5.4 million migrant children in Europe and 50 million around the world have been through the migration process at some point of their life. The health of migrant children has been a matter of growing concern and, concerning mental health, this population is a well-known risk group for the development of different types of psychopathology.
Objectivos: This work aims to review the current literature on the risk factors identified for the development of psychopathology in migrant children and adolescents.
Metodologia: Review of the studies published until February 2019 in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish, through research on the platforms PubMed, Web of Science and PsychINFO, with the keywords "children", "adolescents", "migration" and “psychopathology ".
Resultados: Authors identified pre and perinatal risk factors in this population (infections, vitamin D deficiency, obstetric complications), but a causal relationship with the development of psychopathology wasn’t found. The urban environment has been mentioned as an independent factor for the increased risk of psychosis. Therefore, large clusters such as refugee camps may increase the risk of this pathology. Deprivation of meaningful connections in the home country also seems to play an important role. Furthermore, racism in the host society and difficult integration in the school environment have also been pointed as an important factor for a poor mental health. Finally, the migratory process is also influenced by the past traumatic experiences in the home country as well as events related with the migration process itself (previous preparation of the child/adolescent and migration alone or together with the family).
Conclusões: There seems to exist a strong link between the migratory phenomenon and the increased risk of psychopathology in migrant children and adolescents. However, future researches are necessary, focusing on a better definition of the studied groups and reducing the existing biases.
Palavras Chave: adolescents, children, migration, psychopathology.