Syrian conflict and oppression caused extreme suffering for Syrians. They threatened the existence of Syrian identity and Syria’s territorial integrity. They caused more than half of Syria’s population to be internally displaced or become refugees. The goal of the current study was to assess the physical and mental health toll of Syrian experience, an intergroup trauma, on Syrians as individuals. A sample of 195 internally displaced and 111 Syrian refugees in the Nederland was administered measures of oppressive Syrian experience (SOE), cumulative stress and trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), postcumulative stress and trauma disorders (complex PTSD), and existential annihilation anxiety (EAA). Descriptive statistics showed high rates of PTSD, comorbidities, and suicidality. Internally displaced had significantly higher morbidity rates than refugees. Using path analysis, we tested a model where SOE, mediated by other interpersonal traumas, triggered EAA and affected severely their mental and physical health. The model fitted well. We tested the model’s structural invariance across genders and the 2 groups. While the model was configurally and metrically (conceptually) invariant across groups, it was not strongly or strictly invariant. We examined the dynamics behind their similarities and differences. We discussed the need to resolve the conflict and develop evidence-based interventions to help relieve their suffering.

No abstract

No abstract

Development-based trauma framework (DBTF) identified collective identity stressors and traumas (CISTs) and other trauma types, such as personal identity traumas (PITs), physical identity or survival trauma (PISTs), preidentity such as attachment traumas, and postidentity or secondary trauma (IST). We utilized pooled data from 9 samples from different minorities, refugees, and other victims of CIST (N ϭ 2471) that used measures of cumulative trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs), and existential anxieties (EAAs). PROCESS macro (Models 4, 6, and 7) was used to analyze CIST direct, mediated, and moderated effects, and the serial trajectories of its mediators. We found significant direct effects of CIST on PTSD, CTD, and EAA, in addition to mediated indirect effects Editor's Note. Continue the conversation by submitting your comments and questions about this article/book review to PeacePsychology .org/peaceconflict. (The Editor of PeacePsychology.org reserves the right to exclude material that fails to contribute to constructive discussion.)

No abstract