%0 Journal Article
%T Psychopathological risks in children with migrant parents
%A Francesca Romana Montecchi
%A Catia Bufacchi
%J Dialogues in Philosophy, Mental and Neuro Sciences
%D 2009
%I Crossing Dialogues Association
%X In Western societies many immigrants live in difficult social and working conditions. Together with other factors, this state of affairs represents a risk for the well being of their children. This article will consider the principle risk factors for child psychopathology and/or distress, with a distinction between temporary and permanent factors and with a peculiar attention to the interplay between risk and protective factors. Risk factors can be ordered in cultural, social, familiar/parental and individual factors. Some of these are general risk factors, applying to child and adolescent psychopathology and distress independently from the status of immigrantsĄ¯ offspring (among them there are some risk factors related to poor social conditions, independently from being an immigrant or a low-social-class Western citizen). Other factors are specific of migration, some of them being related to: a) different ways of immigrated families to situate themselves within the host society (assimilation, separation, integration, marginality); b) cultural/familiar attitudes in childĄ¯s nurture and education; c) the family role of women as well as factors specific of the pregnancy period in immigrants; d) the ability of the school system to enhance and support childrenĄ¯s abilities to integrate within the new society; e) the political/bureaucratic facilitation/impediment to the regularization of VISA, with the consequent effect on the sense of identity/rejection within/from the host society.In conclusion, the programs for monitoring immigrantsĄ¯ living and health conditions should also include: the assessment of parental skills, the dynamic indicators of risk and protection indexes, the assessment of living conditions and social school environment, with a careful attention to those early signs of discomfort that might precede possible later onset of psychopathology and/or social distress.
%K migration
%K psychopathological risk factors
%K child psychopathology
%K prevention
%K trans-cultural psychiatry
%K social psychology
%U http://www.crossingdialogues.com/Ms-A09-01.pdf