Determinants of psychiatric disorders in children refugees in Turkey’s Yazidi refugee camp

Abstract

Objective: To examine the mental health states of a sample of Yazidi refugee children and adolescents who migrated from war-torn Iraq's Sinjar region and to determine the risk and protective factors for psychiatric disorders among the refugee children and adolescents. Method: The participants of this research were children and adolescents between ages 6 and 17 who live in a refugee camp in Turkey. Their parents/guardians provided written informed consents for the research. The research was approved by the Ethics Council of Sakarya University. Participants with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders were excluded from the study. Two child and adolescent psychiatrists speaking their native language interviewed and evaluated each of the participants. Collected data included sociodemographic information about previous and current living situations, Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime -Turkish Version (K-SADS-PL). Results: One hundred and thirty-six children and adolescents (76 boys, 63 girls; mean age = 11.05 ± 3.11 (SD)). At the time of the assessment, 43.4% had posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (n = 59), 27.9% depression (n = 38), 10.3% nocturnal enuresis (n = 14), 9.6% behavioural problems (n = 7), and 5.1% anxiety disorders (n = 13). Conclusions: Many of the refugee children and adolescents had developed psychiatric disorders, or are at risk for PTSD and depression. Also, the ongoing ambiguity regarding their living conditions, interruption of their education, a lack of hope for the future and anxiety regarding the ones they left behind are considered to be risk factors for the development of psychiatric and social problems in the future. Living with family members and not having losses from the immediate family are protective factors. ARTICLE HISTORY

Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Unintentional Injuries in Children

“…PTSD symptom severity was also associated with the nature of the event that caused the injury. It has been shown that intense PTSD symptoms develop in approximately half of all traffic accidents and burn patients and that the severity of PTSD symptoms in these children may be as severe as in refugees (35,36) or earthquake victims (32). Considering that PTSD can affect children's social and biological development and academic life which lasts for many years (18,37,38), it is understood that focusing on only the physical damage of accident and injuries means leaving the patient at a serious risk of mental problems.…”

Determination of psychosocial conditions of refugee children living in society

“…Of the participants, 57.5% were male, 25 Table 1 shows the comparison of mean CPTS-RI, CDI, and STAIC-T scores according to socio-demographic characteristics of the children.…”

“…It was found in the studies conducted with Syrian refugee children in Turkey that children witnessed the death or injury of one of their parents, death of a friend, or they themselves suffered ignorance or abuse. In addition, the children whose houses were destroyed and had to migrate to Turkey experienced higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, behavioral, and sleep disorders . Studies conducted with the children exposed to the war in Uganda revealed that the depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder scores of the children who experienced war‐related events and lost their parents were higher .…”

“…In addition, the children whose houses were destroyed and had to migrate to Turkey experienced higher levels of posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, behavioral, and sleep disorders. 12,23,25 Studies conducted with the children exposed to the war in Uganda revealed that the depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder scores of the children who experienced war-related events and lost their parents were higher. 6,18 A study which was performed 10 years after the Gulf War in Iraq with the children who had experienced the war reported that obesity and other complaints regarding their health had increased, and they had poor sleep quality, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder.…”

“…20 Further studies in the literature reveal that although the children who were exposed to wars migrated and started to live within other societies, they still had psychosocial problems, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, [21][22][23][24] depression, 6,18,[21][22][23][24] anxiety, 6,18,[21][22][23][24] behavioral problems, eating disorders, communication, and sleep disorders. 25 Furthermore, this study aims to determine the psychosocial status of refugee children living within society.…”