# The Influence of Executive Functioning on Internalizing and Somatic Symptoms in Trauma-Exposed Arab Resettled Refugee Parent-Child Dyads

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE · 2021 · $36,118

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT:
Numerous relations have been documented between parental and child psychopathology after trauma exposure,
however, the cognitive processes that explain these associations are not well understood. Executive functions (e.g.,
working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility) are trainable cognitive processes that can be shaped
by one’s environment and may significantly predict the ability to process memories, self-regulate, adapt, and
problem solve in high-risk contexts. Examining the reciprocal effects of transmission of executive functioning in
traumatized children and their parents inherently invokes a dyadic model; however, most studies examining
executive functioning in trauma-exposed children rarely measure and analyze data using dyadic statistical
modeling. My study seeks to rectify this issue in the current state of the science on the transmission of executive
functioning in trauma-exposed parent-child dyads to determine how established associations and subsequent
theory building in this domain might change when using dyadic modeling. The proposed study aims to elucidate
intrafamilial processes associated with the moderating influence of executive functioning on psychosocial outcomes
in a sample of trauma-exposed Arab refugee children and their parents. Global forced migration due to mass
traumatic experiences is at a record high with over 70.8 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, over half of
whom are children and adolescents. Refugee families are faced with life-threatening circumstances in which they
are forced to flee their countries due to war, disaster, and persecution. Previous studies indicate refugee trauma
may possess unique characteristics that place refugee children and their parents at risk for developing poor
psychosocial outcomes over the life course. The objectives of this study are to: (1) precisely measure
intergenerational factors of cognitive risk and resilience for psychosocial adjustment in high-risk contexts, and (2)
identify cognitive intrafamilial factors that might affect parents’ capacity to help their children overcome the effects
of trauma exposure. The applicant will recruit 75 Arab refugee parent-child dyads resettled to the United States.
The project is significant and innovative because it will address past empirical gaps by (a) examining three domains
of refugee child and adult executive functioning using empirically supported objective measurement tools, (b)
obtaining self-report data from refugee children, (c) translating all measures into Arabic and exploring possible
cross-cultural comparisons in the sample (e.g., Syrian and Iraqi refugees), and (d) recruiting a sample of trauma-
exposed children and their parents from a high-risk, understudied sample of resettled refugees. The project will
include career development activities and the completion of a comprehensive training plan to prepare the applicant
for a research career in trauma and cognitive psycholog...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10131022
- **Project number:** 5F31HD102193-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS LAWRENCE
- **Principal Investigator:** Jessy Guler
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $36,118
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10131022

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10131022, The Influence of Executive Functioning on Internalizing and Somatic Symptoms in Trauma-Exposed Arab Resettled Refugee Parent-Child Dyads (5F31HD102193-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10131022. Licensed CC0.

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