Case studies

S's Story

S is 13 years old. Her and her mum are from South Serbia. Their first language is Serbo-Croat. They left Serbia 5 years ago as a result of domestic violence and the troubled political situation. Three other children remain in Serbia as mum had to leave in a hurry to escape the violence towards her and S by her husband.

S was referred by her GP due to concerns about the extreme anxiety she was displaying. This appeared to be linked to her life in Serbia. She was experiencing intrusive thoughts about her father and the things that had happened to her at home. Despite the move she continued to feel under constant threat from him and feared for her safety.

Since attending the school-based mental health service, S has received extra support from school and her mood has improved. Whilst continued to experience intrusive thoughts these decreased in frequency and she began to feel more in control.

The family's claim for refugee status was turned down and they had to appeal. This obviously compounded the feelings of anxiety S was experiencing.

P's Story

P is 7 years old and lives with his older cousin and her family. He originally comes from Malawi. His parents were killed when he was 2 years old and he was cared for by his aunt who died a year ago. His older brother managed to get him to the UK earlier this year. P's understanding is that he had to leave Malawi as there was nowhere to live and no food.

P was disruptive in class with bouts of prolonged screaming. Following a series of meetings school staff reported a significant improvement in his behaviour. He began to feel more safe and secure with increasing acceptance of his new life. The school were praised for the secure and nurturing environment they had helped to provide.