Mental Health Status in Refugees: An Integrative Review of Current Research

Abstract

The purpose of this integrative review was to assess the results of current published quantitative research about refugees and their mental health status. An extensive literature review using several approaches was performed. A group of 12 articles met inclusion criteria for this study sample (N = 12). All 12 studies showed negative mental health status in the refugees sampled. Mental health outcomes included posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, psychosis, and dissociation. This review revealed a lack of culturally sensitive understandings and diagnostic measures in the majority of current published quantitative research on refugees. The scope of this research for health professionals is broad, as the number of refugees continues to rise. Recommendations for clinicians include an expanded range of practice to incorporate refugee-specific assessment and treatment.

Identidades em crise: imigrantes, emoções e saúde mental em Portugal

“…Esta série de perdas é vivenciada como um luto e sempre acompanhada por uma maior vulnerabilidade aos transtornos mentais e/ou às perturbações emocionais (Desjarlais e col., 1995;Bibeau, 1997;Kirmayer e Minas, 2000;Persaud e Lusane, 2000;Murray e Lopez, 1996). Muitos autores realçaram a maior vulnerabilidade que os imigrantes apresentam em relação a problemas de saúde em geral (Carballo e col., 1998;Jansà, 2004) e de saúde mental em particular, devido não só à dureza do processo migratório (Keyes, 2000;Fox e col., 2001;Hermansson e col., 2002;Mollica e col., 2001;Steel e Silove, 2001;Maddern, 2004;Carta e col., 2005; Pumariega e col., 2005;), mas também à exposição quotidiana a formas de discriminação (Fernando, 1984;Salgado de Snyder, 1987;Essed e Fernando, 1991;Comaz-Diaz e Greene, 1995;Kessler e col., 1999;Noh e col., 1999;Ren e col., 1999).…”

Terrorism, civil war, one-sided violence and global burden of disease

“…While mobile populations all face hardships resulting from exposure to foreign cultures and subsequent changes in personal identity, refugees are unique in that they experience trauma as a direct result of stress caused by conflict, isolation as well as the danger associated with their forced exile (Keyes, 2000;Stein, 1986). Internally displaced persons are an important subpopulation of those forced to leave their homes as a result of complex emergencies but have not crossed an international border.…”

“…The experience of refugees has typically been broken down into two fundamental stagespre-migration and post-migration (Keyes, 2000). During the first stage, refugees directly experience trauma, including torture, imprisonment, loss of family members and fear of personal safety (Mollica, 1987).…”

Counseling Arab and Chaldean American Families

“…In addition to the heavy burden and grief associated with memories of wartime trauma, many Arab and Chaldean Americans must also contend with the same immigration and acculturative stress issues faced by other immigrants to North America (e.g., Keyes, 2000). This includes the acquisition of a new language by both parents and children which may occur at different rates, learning and complying with laws about child abuse and domestic violence, and becoming knowledgable about the educational and employment system in their host country.…”