A new UK study has revealed the severe psychological trauma and emotional suffering experienced by unaccompanied Afghan refugee children who fled the Taliban and arrived in Britain without their families.
Researchers said many young Afghan refugees continue to suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic anxiety and physical pain years after arriving in the UK.
The study, led by researchers from the University of East Anglia, examined the experiences of 12 unaccompanied Afghan refugee minors who escaped Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Participants described losing family members to violence, struggling with loneliness and carrying deep emotional trauma while trying to rebuild their lives in Britain.
One participant, identified as Abdullah, described the ongoing pain of losing relatives in Afghanistan.
“My uncle died, somebody killed him… that gives me more stress. Sometimes when I go to sleep, it’s in my brain,” he said.
“Since I came here, I lost a lot of people… like my cousins, they died there. So these things give you a lot of stress, I am not able to see them.”
Another refugee explained how emotional trauma had developed into physical pain.
“Sometimes I think maybe some of my pains… is because of the stress that I have. And that is translating into physical pain,” the participant said.
The research focused on Afghan, Pashtun, Hazara and Tajiki refugees who arrived in the UK between the ages of 14 and 21 after experiencing violence, threats to life and separation from their families.
At the time of the study, participants had lived in Britain for between two and 11 years.
Researchers found that unaccompanied refugee children were significantly more likely to suffer from PTSD and depression compared with Afghan children who fled the country alongside family members.
Dr Rebecca Lane, who led the study, said many young refugees experienced a damaging cycle where physical pain and mental health struggles reinforced each other.
“For example, mental and physical pain often occurred together. Physical pain would stop people leaving the house, exercising or spending time with friends – which then made their mental health and feelings of isolation worse,” she explained.
The study also highlighted how loneliness, fear and difficulties trusting others left many refugees socially isolated after resettling in the UK.
Experts said cultural pressures within Afghan society often discouraged boys and young men from expressing emotional vulnerability, making it harder for them to seek help.
Dr Kenny Chiu said unaccompanied refugee children had lost “family, safety and a sense of home” while also enduring traumatic experiences during their journeys to Britain.
Researchers found many young refugees relied on coping strategies such as sport, prayer and spending time with friends to manage anxiety and emotional distress.
One participant said: “If I’m at home doing nothing, then I just call my friends, we go out to the park and play some sports, like cricket.”
“Back home in Afghanistan – there’s no other sports, only cricket,” he added.
However, the study also found some refugees turned to alcohol, medication and in a small number of cases self-harm as a way of coping with trauma.
Despite the difficulties, researchers said there were signs of hope and recovery among many of the young people interviewed.
Dr Lane said some participants experienced major improvements in their mental health after receiving support services and rebuilding social connections.
“Maybe a third or up to 50 per cent of the young people I spoke to were in a wildly different place when they spoke to me than when they were when they entered the UK,” she said.
“That transformation was because of social connection and it was because of support services.”