The increasing number of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe calls for even more professionals to take care of refugees' mental health. Although different studies claim that migration could be a potential risk factor for self-harming behaviours, an in-depth exploration of the presence and characteristics of self-harm in the context of asylum is needed. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted across the databases Scopus, PubMed, Web of Knowledge and PsycArticles, regarding the main features of self-harming behaviour among refugees in Europe. Twelve articles and 3 main trajectories were identified: (1) A context at-risk: self-harm and detention centres; (2) A target at-risk: self-harm and unaccompanied minors; (3) A comparison between the mental health of asylum seekers and natives. Research on this topic in Europe is still underdeveloped and disorganised. Studies have mainly carried out wider quantitative investigations on mental health, usually overlapping self-harm with suicide. Detention centres emerged as the most widely investigated context and the one with the highest risk for self-harming behaviours. Instead, unaccompanied minors emerged as a particularly vulnerable category. Research in this field should be improved, combining quantitative and qualitative methods for a deeper understanding of the meanings of self-harm across cultures.

Self-harming behaviours of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe: A systematic review / Gargiulo, A.; Tessitore, F.; Le Grottaglie, F.; Margherita, G.. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY. - ISSN 0020-7594. - 56:2(2021), pp. 189-198. [10.1002/ijop.12697]

Self-harming behaviours of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe: A systematic review

Gargiulo A.;Tessitore F.;Margherita G.
2021

Abstract

The increasing number of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe calls for even more professionals to take care of refugees' mental health. Although different studies claim that migration could be a potential risk factor for self-harming behaviours, an in-depth exploration of the presence and characteristics of self-harm in the context of asylum is needed. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted across the databases Scopus, PubMed, Web of Knowledge and PsycArticles, regarding the main features of self-harming behaviour among refugees in Europe. Twelve articles and 3 main trajectories were identified: (1) A context at-risk: self-harm and detention centres; (2) A target at-risk: self-harm and unaccompanied minors; (3) A comparison between the mental health of asylum seekers and natives. Research on this topic in Europe is still underdeveloped and disorganised. Studies have mainly carried out wider quantitative investigations on mental health, usually overlapping self-harm with suicide. Detention centres emerged as the most widely investigated context and the one with the highest risk for self-harming behaviours. Instead, unaccompanied minors emerged as a particularly vulnerable category. Research in this field should be improved, combining quantitative and qualitative methods for a deeper understanding of the meanings of self-harm across cultures.
2021
Self-harming behaviours of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe: A systematic review / Gargiulo, A.; Tessitore, F.; Le Grottaglie, F.; Margherita, G.. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY. - ISSN 0020-7594. - 56:2(2021), pp. 189-198. [10.1002/ijop.12697]
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Gargiulo Tessitore Margherita 2020.pdf

solo utenti autorizzati

Licenza: Accesso privato/ristretto
Dimensione 304.48 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
304.48 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/831831
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 20
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 19
social impact