Yale PRFDHR Presents: "Growing up Under Forced Displacement: Evidence from Bangladesh and Jordan"

Cumulative trauma due to displacement and exposure to violence can lead to long-run impacts on mental health, with consequences for human capital accumulation. This may be particularly true for adolescents given that this is a time of intensified emotional distress and a critical period for development. Using mixed-methods longitudinal data from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) study on over 6,000 refugee adolescents aged 10-17 and their local peers in Bangladesh and Jordan this research explores the challenges faced by adolescents growing up under forced displacement. Specifically, taking a gender lens, Professors Baird and Seager focus on risk and protective factors that shape the mental health and resilience of refugee adolescents. They investigate the role of past exposure to violence on mental health outcomes, and the potential mitigating role of parental support and access to informal education and other programming. They also investigate heterogeneity in these relationships by country, gender, and host vs. camp (in Jordan), and compare the trajectory of refugee adolescents to non-refugee adolescents in nearby communities. Finally, Professors Baird and Seager explore the added impact of COVID-19. Ultimately, this research aims to add to the evidence base on the lives of adolescent refugees in order to improve policy and programming that addresses their specific vulnerabilities.