The impact of the Syrian War on the Cognitive Development of Children in Al-Zaatari Camp, Jordan: A Comparative Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59680/medika.v3i4.2205Keywords:
Al-Zaatari Camp, Cognitive Development, Syrian Refugee Children, Trauma Impact, War ExposureAbstract
This meta-analysis sistematically examines the impact of war exposure on the cognitive development of Syrian refugee children aged 5 to 17 years residing in Al-Zaatari Camp, Jordan, by synthesizing data from 47 longitudinal and quasi-longitudinal studies with a total sample of 8,426 participants published between 2011 and 2024. The results indicate consistent and statistically significant cognitive impairments across domains, marked by a lower average IQ score of 11.2 points compared with non-refugee Syrian children (d = -0.78, 95% CI [-0.92, -0.64]). Significant declines were also identified in working memory capacity (beta = -0.43, p < 0.001), accompanied by deficits in executive functioning encompassing attention (d = -0.66), inhibitory control (d = -0.59), and cognitive flexibility (d = -0.71). Duration of displacement was moderately and negatively correlated with cognitive performance (r = -0.38, p < 0.001). Children who experienced direct exposure to war-related trauma (n = 3,241) demonstrated more severe impairment (M = -1.24 SD) compared with those exposed indirectly (n = 5,185, M = -0.86 SD). These findings extend the results of Sirin and Sirin & Rogers-Sirin (2015) and Caparos (2022), while uniquely identifying a critical period for intervention effectiveness: early intervention within 6 months of displacement yielded better outcomes (d = 0.45) than delayed intervention (d = 0.21). This study presents the first comprehensive longitudinal meta-analysis to map trajectories of child cognitive development within the refugee camp context and to establish an empirically grounded temporal window for the most effective intervention
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