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Differences in Neuropsychological Performance between Refugee and Non-Refugee Children in Palestine
Ahmed F Fasfous1,2, María Nieves Pérez-Marfil2,3, Francisco Cruz-Quintana2,3
1Social Sciences Department, Bethlehem University, Bethlehem 92248, Palestine.
Insights
This study compared the neuropsychological performance of Palestinian refugee children to non-refugees. Non-refugee children showed better sustained attention, verbal comprehension, and memory skills.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Neuropsychological research on refugee children is limited, particularly concerning Palestinian populations.
- Understanding the cognitive impact of displacement on children is crucial for targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the neuropsychological performance of Palestinian refugee children with non-refugee Palestinian children.
- To identify specific cognitive domains affected by refugee status in children.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive, standardized, and validated neuropsychological battery was administered.
- The study included 584 Palestinian school children aged 6-8 years (464 refugees, 120 non-refugees).
Main Results:
- Non-refugee children demonstrated superior performance in sustained attention compared to refugee children.
- Refugee children showed lower scores in verbal comprehension, verbal memory, and visual memory.
Conclusions:
- This is the first comprehensive neuropsychological assessment of Palestinian refugee children using a validated battery.
- Findings support professionals in evaluating neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological differences in Palestinian children, both refugees and non-refugees.
Abstract:
Neuropsychological studies on refugee children are scarce, but there are even less in the case of Palestinian children. This work aims to study the neuropsychological performance of Palestinian refugee children in Palestine compared to other Palestinian children living outside refugee camps. A comprehensive Neuropsychological battery was administrated to 584 Palestinian school children (464 refugees and 120 non-refugees) aged 6, 7, and 8 years old. Results showed that non-refugee children outperformed refugee children in sustained attention, verbal comprehension, verbal memory, and visual memory. This study is the first to have performed a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment, based on a standardized and validated battery with the Palestinian refugee children. It supports professionals in their evaluation of neurodevelopment and neuropsychological alterations in refugee and non-refugee children in Palestine.
