Fostering resilience and well-being: The transformative power of drama therapy for refugee youth

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 20th century, repeated experiences of conflict, dispute, and discrimination have increased the number of displaced persons and increased their vulnerability to trauma (Arroyo et. Al., 2017). While displaced people or refugees in host nations abroad, their mobility is typically influenced by challenges on the physical, socioeconomic, and psychological dimensions. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), along with numerous governmental and non-governmental, international, and local organizations, has increased its action to protect the human rights of the displaced people and to offer immediate help and short-term solutions, the importance of which must be prioritized to foster healthier, more prosperous, and peaceful communities (UNHCR, 2014). However, youth who are refugees are a group that is particularly at risk and victimized. Approximately 39% (UNHCR, 2018) of new refugees are children or youth, according to UNHCR statistics. Compared to adults, they are more vulnerable to trauma brought on by war, and many of them are also isolated from their families, which increases their chance of experiencing serious psychological problems and regularly exposes them to exploitation, trafficking, and abuse (UNHCR, 2019). This is not to argue that children and youth who have fled their homes would necessarily suffer from impairment; rather, several cultural, social, and experiential elements may foster resilience and help people recover psychologically from trauma (Arroyo et. Al., 2017).