Depression and suicidality in an Afghan refugee: A case report

Abstract

We report the case of a young male refugee from Afghanistan who presented after a violent suicide attempt, likely precipitated in part by discrimination and social isolation experienced after immigrating to the United States. Common psychiatric comorbidities associated with immigration from war-torn nations are reviewed with a particular emphasis on how adequate screening and additional resources for vulnerable refugees during and after immigration continues to be an unmet need. Our findings suggest that there is a critical need and additional studies should be conducted, not only to identify at risk refugee populations but also to prevent potentially violent behavior. Our findings also suggest a lack of an optimal screening tool and shed light on the struggles of refugees, particularly those from Afghanistan.

“Imagine, 7 Years Without a Future”: A Qualitative Study of Rejected Asylum Seekers' Life Conditions in Norway

“…They found that they had few resources and little power to influence their situation, and there were several examples of self-destructive reactions such as self-harm and suicide attempts (Valenta and Garvik, 2019). Higher risk of self-harm and suicide among asylum seekers and refugees has been documented in several studies, although the research here is insufficient (Vijayakumar, 2016;Morrow and Krishna, 2019;Gargiulo et al, 2021). The background for self-harm and suicidal ideations is complex, but in this context it must be seen in connection with disrupted normal development, loss of contact and relationships with family and primary objects, and lack of age-adequate support (Gvion and Fachler, 2017).…”