Immigrant Children and Youth: Psychological Challenges • ABC-CLIO

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.

Features

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

Alberto M. Bursztyn, PhD, is professor of school psychology at Brooklyn College, NY, and a member of the doctoral faculty of urban education at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). His previous publications include The Praeger Handbook of Special Education; Childhood Psychological Disorders: Current Controversies; and, with Carol Korn-Bursztyn, Rethinking Multicultural Education: Case Studies in Cultural Transition. Bursztyn earned his doctorate in counseling psychology at Columbia University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. He holds additional graduate degrees in school psychology, school leadership, and science education.

Carol Korn-Bursztyn, PsyD, is a psychologist and psychoanalyst as well as professor of school psychology at Brooklyn College, NY, and advisor in the PhD Program in Urban Education at the Graduate School of the City University of New York. Korn-Bursztyn is editor of Young Children and the Arts: Nurturing Imagination and Creativity, and author of numerous articles on children's narrative, arts in education, and teacher research. She is coeditor with Alberto Bursztyn of Rethinking Multicultural Education: Case Studies in Cultural Transition, and editor of Greenwood's Making Sense of Psychology series. She is a graduate of New York University's doctoral program in child clinical psychology and post-graduate training program in psychoanalysis.

Reviews

"This book is long overdue. . . . All of the contributors—many of whom are immigrants themselves—do a splendid job of communicating what the immigrant experience is like personally and how host-country citizens can improve the lives of these children over time. A genuinely interesting and easy-to-read book. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers, and professionals."—Choice, January 4, 2016

Features

Reviews

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