Australian Refugee Youth profile, their mental health, Educational and pathways experiences for their further Education, training and employment.

Australia’s history of immigration over the last two centuries has included people arriving from all over the globe and currently nearly half of all Australian people were either born overseas or have one parent who was born overseas. International research suggests that children and adolescents of refugee background are at greater risk of developing mental health problems and experience higher rates of mental health problems compared with children of the host culture.

 Australian students with a refugee background have diverse skill and abilities, with many showing independence and resilience. Opportunities for academic learning and development of social capital within the school context can be enhanced with relevant pedagogy and policy which draws upon and highlights the positive individual qualities that these students exhibit.

These young people who migrate to Australia after a refugee experience have a right to government funded education. Education institutions have the potential for significant impact on the lives of Australian students with a refugee background enhancing their well-being. Professor Ziaian presentation portrays the profile of Australian young people of refugee background. She will also highlight some of her key research findings, focussing on the nature and prevalence of social, behavioural, and mental health problems affecting refugee children and adolescents as well as the protective factors, such as resilience, that may prevent or ameliorate the adverse effects of mental health problems of this population. Her presentation also highlights the ways in which young people successfully engage in education and what factors help them to access pathways to further education, training or employment. The implications for future research and practice in mental health services, education institutions and employment sector will be discussed.

Professor Tahereh Ziaian is a Community Health Psychologist in the School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, and she is a Visiting Professor at the University of NSW contributing to the academic activities of the South Western Sydney Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine. She has published widely in this field and also regularly been invited to share her knowledge and expertise in both an industry and academic context. 

Prof Ziaian has been invited on several international field visits relating to her transcultural mental health research, a few examples are the Institute of International And Cross-Cultural Psychology (IICCPP), New York, Institute of Multicultural Counselling and Educational Services (IMCES), LA, USA; the National Refugee Resettlement Centre of New Zealand, Centre for Refugees as Survivors, New Zealand; Humanitarian Services Department, Hong Kong, (named as Refugee Settlement Centre – Chungking Mansions service Centre, HK); and Newcomer Centre of Peel (ncp), Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.

Prof Ziaian is specialized in the field of Transcultural mental health and is recognized as a leading researcher in this field both nationally and internationally, resulting in invitations to be an invited and plenary speaker at many national and international conferences including an invited distinguished speaker at the 8th Annual Psychology Day at the United Nations Headquarter, New York City (April 2015). Her research has also influenced national policies in relation to multicultural mental health and has achieved research impact both nationally and internationally.  She is a member of several journal editorial boards and government committees, and been awarded a number of 1st category and competitive research grants, including ARCs. Of particular significance, was her appointment by the Governor of South Australia in 2008 to serve Health Performance Council (HPC) for four years. Prof Ziaian has been the recipient of many awards including a ‘British Commonwealth Award for Excellence in Women’s Health’. 

Both in her teachings and in her research, Prof Ziaian has integrated spirituality as well as the structural values of culture equality. She has travelled extensively to different parts of the world, in search of spiritual inspiration and to develop her own personal and professional practice. She has been a student of Sri Chinmoy for over 2 decades and under his spiritual guidance, she is exploring the potential of singing bowls, as a medium to meditation and peace. Her intense meditation training and experience has enabled her to conduct meditative and relaxation therapy research and to play a key role in examining the impact of these therapies on quality of life of both educators and the learners within the higher education sector and health care settings.