Mental Health Concerns Among Migrant Children

Although it has been widely assumed that migration negatively affects child mental health, recent research demonstrated a large variation in the mental health of migrant populations. This presentation focuses on several issues that need to be considered in researching the impact of migration on child mental health. The issues include: the characteristics of the migrant group and of the receiving country, the respective immigrant generation under investigation (the immigrant paradox), and the ethnic composition of the direct environment of the child (the ethnic density effect). Moreover, the effects of acculturation orientations and perceptions of discrimination to child mental health problems are discussed.