Kids, Poverty and Mental Health: Children of war

Its been 10 years since Aivana watched her teacher die in front of her.She was sitting in her classroom when a bomb suddenly exploded.

She and the otherstudents ran screaming and crying from the room, fearing for their lives.

I see my teacher die, says the 17-year-old St. Jean de Brebeuf Secondary Schoolstudent, in an emotionless tone.

Aivana talks in an almost robotic way when she recounts the violence that surroundedher while growing up in Iraq. She was seven when her family fled, moving first to Syria then to Hamilton.

When Aivana arrived in Canada, she spoke no English and learned slowly by watchingTV. She talks about the violence she lived with as a child in a composed and calm tone.

Like many children and youth who grew up in war-torn countries and witnessed ongoing violence, the trauma lives on inside of her.

Targetedprograms needed

Programs to deal with the mental health challenges of immigrant and refugee childrenare important since immigrant children under the age of 15 represent 22 per cent of theschool-age population in Hamilton.

Hamilton also has a higher than average refugee population than other Canadian citiesits size. Twenty per cent of foreign-born children living in Hamilton arrived as refugeescompared to the national average of around 11 per cent.

Although they left behind the violence, for many coming to a new country means thebeginning of newstressors. Immigrant children are more likely to live in poverty sotheir families are dealing with thestressorsof having to struggle financially, said LilyLumsden, senior regional manager of Employment, Training and Settlement for theYMCA Hamilton/Burlington/Brantford.

Haunted moments

New immigrants have the highest child poverty rate of any sub-population in Hamiltonat 50 per cent and twice as many immigrants are likely to be unemployed as non-immigrants.

When you think of what they have to handle, new home, new school and new friendsand, on top of that, theyre teenagers which means theyre going through all thesechanges, saidLumsden.

Live Chat Friday at noon: Join series author Denise Davy and Dr. Jean Clinton, child and adolescent psychiatrist at theOffordCentre for Child Studies for a live chat with CBC Hamilton

The moment that haunts Aivana most is when she was grabbed on the street and almostkidnapped. She prefers not to talk about it as it brings the fear. Her friend Mary, 19, isalso from Iraq and, like Aivana, she still vividly remembers the gunfire and explosionsand seeing classmates and family killed.

Recalling one day when soldiers stormed into her classroom, she says, We startedto cry and yelling. They just started shooting. When I talk about it sometimes it comesback again and it feels scared.

Both girls asked that their last names not be used.

Shadow of violence

For Mary, the trauma has eased but she says its still sometimes difficult to sleep.

Many immigrant and refugee children, like Aivana and Mary, who grew up in theshadow of violence become stuck in a cycle of reliving the trauma long after theyve left their homeland.

Some children have such severe post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), they are notable to leave their parents side. Others become weighted down with a profound sense of isolation which can lead to depression.

Aivana and Mary found support through a program called Lets Talk Girls which isoffered by the YMCAs Settlement Workers in the Schools (SWIS). It provides a forum fornewcomer girls to discuss their feelings, specifically around moving to a newcountry.

Opening up about trauma

The groups have been held at Glendale Secondary School, Sir John A. Macdonald,Barton Secondary Schooland St Jean de Brebeuf. Each group typically includes eightto 12 participants.

'They often say, I feel like Im living two different lives, one at school and the other athome.- Jenny Martinez, school settlement worker,SWIS

Jenny Martinez, lead school settlement worker with SWIS, said about 20 per cent ofthe girls shes seen have had severe enough mental health problems that they neededindividual counselling.

Getting them there isnt always easy because mental health issues arent somethingthat are openly discussed within some cultures. One 16-year-old girl was suicidal butrefused to see a counselor for fear her parents would find out. Martiniez had to arrangefor a counselor to come to the school so her parents wouldnt know.

Sometimes the girls themselves have a hard time opening up because theyre notaccustomed to sharing their personal feelings with strangers. Once they do, the keyissue most want to share isnt the trauma they left. Its the struggle they have with theirparents because of the cultural divide they experience between their lives at home and at school.

They often say, I feel like Im living two different lives, one at school and the other athome, said Martinez.

Some girls have talked about how they feel their parents dont care about themanymore.

We try and explain to them that their parents are juggling jobs and trying to pay the rent and also taking ESL classes, said Martinez.

When asked if she likes her new life in Canada, Mary pauses then says, Its quiet.

Look at the family

The Child Abuse Council of Hamilton runs a unique program called OASIS (Outreach,Assessment and Specialized Intervention Services Program) for refugee and immigrant children and youth who have experienced trauma.

Child psychotherapist Mary-Jo Land, who runs the program, said the trauma childrenhave experienced often shows in different ways, such as problems sleeping or with food issues such as overeating. Many are related to the traumas theyve survived.

Land said they bring in the whole family for counseling as they always find that parents and other siblings are also suffering from trauma. Their job entails much more thanworking through the trauma, said Land, adding that its common for issues related topoverty to come up.

We work with families who are trying to get their house sorted out, their finances, their kids and school. Many have bed bugs and cockroaches because theyre in low income apartments. Theyre overwhelmed, said Land.

For many, simply getting to an appointment is a huge challenge. Just taking a busacross town to get to there can take an hour and a half, said Land, adding its notuncommon to have missed appointments.

Many families need translators. Says Land, It can take twice as long.

The biggest obstacle, however, is simply building trust. Many have lived in countrieswhere the governments and police were completely corrupt. Open up to a completestranger about their problems and innermost fears can take a long time.

Working with young children takes a special touch and Land uses play therapy or hasthem draw pictures or use clay to express how they feel or to show her what theyveexperienced.

Some of the paintings are dark while others are filled with colour.

It all helps them feel a sense of regaining control, said Land.