The FRIENDS program for young former-Yugoslavian refugees in Australia: A pilot study

Young immigrants frequently experience anxiety as a consequence of the stre ss associated with migration. Despite being at high risk for the developmen t of psychopathology, culturally sensitive assessment and intervention proc edures for use with ethnic minority groups residing in Australia have yet t o be developed and validated. The aims of the current study were to (a) inv estigate the level of anxiety in a sample of former-Yugoslavian teenage ref ugees; (b) appraise the efficacy of the FRIENDS program, a validated Angle- Australian anxiety-prevention program, for use with this high-risk group; a nd (c) obtain information from both the program participants and facilitato rs regarding how the intervention could be modified to better meet the need s of this growing refugee population in Australia. Twenty female former-Yug oslavian youths completed standardised measures of internalising symptoms. Participants were allocated to either an intervention (n = 9) or a waiting list (n = 11)condition. In spite of the small sample size, post-assessment indicated that participants in the intervention condition reported signific antly less internalising symptoms than participants in the waiting list con dition. Social validity data indicated that, overall, participants were hig hly satisfied with the intervention. Suggestions for assessment and treatme nt program modifications are discussed.