Mental health screening of children from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds in the Netherlands: A cross-sectional study

Abstract Background. Forced displacement of children has reached unprecedented levels worldwide, with many experiencing elevated rates of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This highlights the need for effective mental health screening to support timely intervention. Objective. This cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of mental health problems among refugee and asylum-seeking children in Dutch preventive youth health care and the psychometric properties of the screening instruments used. Methods. Refugee and asylum-seeking children and parents (N = 111) completed self- or parent-report versions of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Children’s Revised Impact of Event Scale-13 (CRIES-13) using audio computer-assisted self-interviews. The Stressful Life Events checklist (SLE) was administered verbally. Prevalence rates were calculated, correlations were analysed using Spearman’s rho and internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s α. Results. Participants reported high exposure to stressful life events (M = 3.5). Up to 51% showed clinically elevated PTSD symptoms and up to 29% elevated emotional and behavioural problems. The SDQ and CRIES demonstrated sufficient internal consistency. Exposure to stressful life events was associated with elevated mental health problems in children’s self-reports, but not in parent-reports. Conclusions. Refugee and asylum-seeking children in this study reported high rates of mental health problems, underscoring the need for systematic screening to support early identification and referral. The SLE, SDQ and CRIES-8 appear to be useful screening tools for this population, although results must be interpreted with caution.