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International journal of environmental research and public health
A high proportion of refugees have been subjected to potentially traumatic experiences (PTEs), including torture. PTEs, and torture in particular, are powerful predictors of mental ill health. This paper reports the development and preliminary validation of a brief refugee trauma checklist applicable for survey studies. A pool of 232 items was generated based on pre-existing instruments. Conceptualization, item selection and item refinement was conducted based on existing literature and in collaboration with experts. Ten cognitive interviews using a Think Aloud Protocol (TAP) were performed in a clinical setting, and field testing of the proposed checklist was performed in a total sample of n = 137 asylum seekers from Syria. The proposed refugee trauma history checklist (RTHC) consists of 2 × 8 items, concerning PTEs that occurred before and during the respondents' flight, respectively. Results show low item non-response and adequate psychometric properties Conclusion: RTHC is a.
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The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
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Refugees from the current conflict in Syria have been exposed to a variety of stressors known to increase the risk of mental distress. These may include witnessing atrocities as well as dealing with the challenges of surviving in the displacement context. As a vast array of organisations rush to address mental health outcomes among Syrians, the scientific and conceptual validity of psychological tools used to assess and treat mental health difficulties becomes of paramount importance. Many psychological tools for assessing trauma have been validated in western contexts, but not among Syrians. This paper outlines three errors of reasoning which undermine the validity of psychological methods in cross-cultural contexts, including assuming that western psychiatric categories are universal constructs which can be applied in any context and failing to take contextual factors into account. Qualitative research may help us to better understand culturally specific conceptions of mental health. It is only once we have a solid understanding of how mental distress is understood and expressed among Syrian refugees that we can support effective interventions to alleviate it. The strengthening of indigenous health systems can help promote culturally appropriate mental health care.
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An increasing number of refugees and survivors of torture resettled in the United States are presenting to clinics for treatment related to trauma and postmigration difficulties. Although clinicians experienced in treating trauma with diverse populations may recognize the limitations of a PTSD diagnosis, one of the primary diagnoses received by refugees and survivors of torture remains post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A variety of interventions exist (e.g., supportive, trauma specific, interdisciplinary including physical, social and psychological) for survivors of torture and trauma that move beyond this diagnosis, however, a unifying conceptual model is needed to guide treatment and further the empirical investigation and evidence base in this growing field. In this paper, we propose a broader biopsychosocial framework of the impact of traumatic war events including the measurement of stress related to post migration living difficulties, and daily hassles while highlighting .
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Journal of traumatic …
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Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
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Aims and method This study aimed to identify predictors of symptom severity for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in asylum seekers and refugees referred to a specialised mental health centre. Trauma exposure (number and domain of event), refugee status and severity of PTSD and depression were assessed in 688 refugees. Results Symptom severity of PTSD and depression was significantly associated with lack of refugee status and accumulation of traumatic events. Four domains of traumatic events (human rights abuse, lack of necessities, traumatic loss, and separation from others) were not uniquely associated with symptom severity. All factors taken together explained 11% of variance in PTSD and depression. Clinical implications To account for multiple predictors of symptom severity including multiple traumatic events, treatment for traumatised refugees may need to be multimodal and enable the processing of multiple traumatic memories within a reasonable time-frame.
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