A Psychosocial Approach to Human Rights: the case of child refugees and pathways to resilience

As researchers seek to better understand the mental health of refugee children, it is becoming increasingly evident that the broader ecological context must be considered as crucial factors that exacerbate and mitigate the challenges faced by these vulnerable young individuals. Contemporary models of refugee mental health have responded to these challenges by adopting a multisystemic and ecosocial framework. These models recognize that mental disorders are not exclusively the result of intrinsic or individual factors but are instead influenced by a complex interplay of environmental elements. This perspective blurs the line between normative and pathological responses, recognizing that the ecological context plays a key role in determining how individuals respond to stressors and adapt to circumstances. Historically, the field of refugee mental health has been characterized by debates between proponents of individualized, trauma-focused psychotherapy and advocates of psychosocial models that emphasized community-based approaches and self-managed recovery. These debates highlighted the need for a more holistic and inclusive understanding of the refugee experience, as well as the importance of addressing not only individual mental health but also the well-being of entire communities. By adopting this broader, ecological perspective, the field of refugee mental health has moved toward a more inclusive and comprehensive approach. This paradigm shift is a positive step forward in understanding and addressing the complex mental health needs of refugees, emphasizing the importance of context and community in the healing process. Unfortunately, though the scientific community has taken this important step, the human rights community has not. Still, interventions aimed at promoting child rights and child protection are compartmentalized, usually being separated and limited to ‘anti-trafficking’, ‘anti-violence’, promoting nutrition and promoting education, among others. This, however, is not an effective way to achieve an overall psychosocial well-being of a child, as it is highly restrictive. By understanding developmental psychology, it becomes clear that a child’s well-being is determined by a variety of factors, ranging from genetic, social, economic and so on. Therefore, a simple categorized approach to human rights based on promoting each right individually will not succeed. It is true that the field of rights of refugee children is still recent and underdeveloped, and that might account for the lack of comprehensive interventions in the area. Nonetheless, the recent developments in the field of psychology evidence the ineffectiveness of specialized interventions in guaranteeing general well-being in at-risk children, like refugees, and urge for a better solution. Due to the pressing and growing issue of the refugee crisis and the vulnerability of child refugees, this solution can no longer wait. Children deserve to have comprehensive interventions that can guarantee a healthy development in its entirety, much more than simply keeping them from harm. Therefore, this thesis will underline a desperate need for an approach that considers all of the different layers of a child’s development and every aspect that can present itself as a risk or a protective factor for its healthy fulfillment. It will also argue for a new comprehensive approach to children’s rights based on a psychosocial framework that considers the child’s refugee experience in its entirety. Lastly, it will propose a pathway into achieving this general psychosocial well-being which lies in holistic programs that aim at promoting resilience.