Publication Date

2018

Document Type

Dissertation

Committee Members

Gokce Ergun (Committee Member), Caprice Lambert (Committee Member), Michelle Schultz (Committee Co-Chair), Janeece Warfield (Committee Chair)

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Abstract

The current global sociopolitical climate has resulted in the influx of refugees to the United States from all over the world. Those coming from the Middle East represent a large portion of refugees in the U.S., and children within this group make up a large percentage. The refugee process is characterized by stressful experiences in the premigration, migration, and resettlement stages. These experiences put refugee children at risk for distress and other mental health difficulties. Refugees must learn how to adjust and acculturate once in the host country, which can be a difficult task. Teachers are in a unique position in which they are likely to come in contact with child refugees and have the opportunity to assist them with adjustment and acculturation. Storybooks are useful to assist with adjustment and acculturation. However, there is a lack of storybooks for Middle Eastern refugee children that focus on diversity and coping in resettlement. The storybook was developed to assist Middle Eastern child refugees with achieving healthy adjustment and acculturation within the school setting through teaching of coping skills and promoting resilience. Given cultural stigma associated with mental health difficulties, a storybook that highlights strengths to promote resiliency may reduce stigma in the context of mental health difficulties by broadening these children's coping skill set and knowledge of resources. Finally, the storybook may have a wider reach by promoting empathy, acceptance of differences, and diversity in classrooms of refugee and nonrefugee children alike.

Page Count

199

Department or Program

School of Professional Psychology

Year Degree Awarded

2019

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