Immigrant Children and Youth: Psychological Challenges

Immigrants now comprise one-fourth of the 75 million children in the United States. The ability of today’s immigrant children to become productively engaged adults hinges on their internal resources and mental health. This book ascertains their psychological challenges and their often misunderstood needs.

This book is intended to inform both the general public and professionals working with immigrant children and adolescents about the importance and complexity of addressing their psychological issues and experiential challenges. The work covers the topic of immigrant children’s mental health from multiple perspectives while maintaining a focus on developmental needs and identifying the specific problems posed by linguistic and cultural transition.

The chapters present case studies and vignettes that serve to illustrate the topics, providing vivid depictions of mental health issues and highlighting the importance of specific interventions. As new immigrant groups continue to settle in the United States, the social and emotional well-being of their children has far-reaching implications for the future of our society, making this volume of critical significance to therapists, educators, policymakers, child advocates, and other audiences.

Provides an accessible and well-informed overview of the mental health needs of immigrant children and youths that identifies the multitude of issues and challenges that put immigrant children at high risk for emotional strain

Includes emergent areas of psychological study in immigrant populations, such as transnational families, undocumented status, childhood disabilities, and depression

Reflects current understanding about social acculturation and language acquisition