Migration Stressors, Psychological Distress, and Family—a Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee Analysis

George, Miriam; Jettner, Jennifer

doi:10.1007/s12134-014-0404-y

Cited by 18 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…PTSD is also at times described rather vaguely. In a study on Sri Lankan refugees living in Tamil Nadu, George et al (72) describe PTSD merely as psychological distress (72). Telles et al use the term PTSD interchangeably with distress in their 2007 study on the impact of yoga on PTSD in a cohort of 47 community members following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami (61).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cross-Cultural Validity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in the Indian Context: A Systematic Search and Review

Gilmoor¹,

Adithy²,

Regeer³

2019

Front. Psychiatry

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Background: The cross-cultural validity of the construct of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been a life-long debate in the field of trauma. Its validation in a setting such as India—a nation prone to considerably traumatic events such as conflict, natural disasters, and sexual violence against women—warrants exploration. Objective: To describe how PTSD and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are conceptualized in the Indian context by systematically examining the evidence of studies that investigate PTSD and PTSS in India. Methods: A systematic search in PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct yielded a total of 56 studies that discussed one or multiple aspects of PTSD and PTSS in India. Data relating to types of events, populations, diagnostic tools, manifestations, and interventions were extracted and analyzed. Results: Eleven of 29 Indian states and 2/7 union territories were represented in the 56 included studies, with most studies (n = 21) originating from Tamil Nadu. Natural Disasters (n = 28), War/Conflict (n = 10), and Medical conditions (n = 7) were the top three most commonly investigated traumatic events. The majority of studies focused on entire communities (n = 16), while children and adolescents made up the second largest group (n = 14). Less attention was paid explicitly to male (n = 3) or female (n = 4) victims. Twenty-five different methods for screening for PTSD were identified, with the most common being the impact of events scale (n = 14). The majority of studies reported the screening and clinical diagnosis of PTSD by professional health care providers (n = 24). Abuse scored the highest average prevalence of PTSD at 52.3%, while the lowest was 16.4% due to man-made accidents. Overall, there was a lack of assessment on trauma-specific interventions, though psychosocial support was the most commonly mentioned intervention. Conclusions: Results indicate diversity in approaches for identifying, measuring, and treating PTSD and PTSS in the Indian population and how sociocultural norms influence its manifestation in this population. Future research calls for the development of culturally sensitive approaches to identifying and addressing PTSD and PTSS in India.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Cross-Cultural Validity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in the Indian Context: A Systematic Search and Review

Gilmoor¹,

Adithy²,

Regeer³

2019

Front. Psychiatry

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“…Because exposure to stressful events that threaten physical and mental health are defining features of psychological distress [9] especially among humanitarian migrants- given the double stressors they endure before and after migration [9], it is used in this paper as a preferable indicator of mental health compared to more specific mental illnesses (for example, clinical depression and anxiety disorder). Indeed pre-migration experiences, especially exposure to traumatic events [10], and post-migration stresses associated with settling in a new country are significant predictors of psychological distress among humanitarian migrants [5, 11–13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender disparities and psychological distress among humanitarian migrants in Australia: a moderating role of migration pathway?

Jarallah

Baxter

2019

Confl Health

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Background The role of migration pathway (refugees vs. asylum seekers) is seldom addressed in extant literature that looks at gender and mental health of humanitarian migrants. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship between gender and psychological distress among humanitarian migrants in Australia including the potential moderating role of migration pathway. Methods We analyse data from 2399 humanitarian migrants that participated in the first wave of Building a New Life in Australia, a survey of humanitarian migrants in Australia, using Ordinary Least Squares multivariate regression. Results Women report significantly higher psychological distress than men. Migration pathway moderates the relationship between gender and psychological distress with women asylum seekers reporting higher psychological distress. There is also a significant association between pre-migration trauma, settlement arrangements (particularly those associated with finance, housing, getting used to life in Australia and loneliness) and psychological distress. Conclusions Findings indicate higher psychological distress among asylum seeking women and suggest the importance of migrant status in predicting psychological distress. Settlement arrangements are key predictors of psychological distress among humanitarian migrants. While strategies aimed at addressing their mental health are warranted, policies aimed at the broader social determinants of health are needed to alleviate some of their mental distress especially in light of the recent changes to the Australian Refugee and Asylum-seeking policies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13031-019-0196-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…In recent years, more and more evidence has emerged that not only catastrophic, trauma-inducing experiences are responsible for increased distress, but also psychosocial, daily stressors (e.g. Betancourt et al, 2013; Catani et al, 2008; Fernando et al, 2010; Gelkopf et al, 2012; George and Jettner, 2016; Jayawickreme et al, 2017; Jordans et al, 2012; Miller and Rasmussen, 2010; Rasmussen et al, 2010; Riley et al, 2017; Schafer et al, 2014). This study aims to contribute to this literature by arguing that wartime transformations of the social environment are such a psychosocial stressor, which so far has been overlooked.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although a growing number of studies corroborate the direct and mediation effects of daily stressors (e.g. Betancourt et al, 2013; Catani et al, 2008; Fernando et al, 2010; George and Jettner, 2016; Jordans et al, 2012; Rasmussen et al, 2010; Riley et al, 2017), only few explicitly study the role of social environments as psychosocial stressor (Gelkopf et al, 2012; Jayawickreme et al, 2017; Schafer et al, 2014). This is all the more surprising since a second strand of research stresses the integrative function of the social fabric.…”

Section: Social Transformation Processes As Psychosocial Stressorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These hypotheses should apply particularly well to the civil war in Sri Lanka, which represents a suitable case to study its consequences for mental health (Catani et al, 2008; Fernando et al, 2010; George and Jettner, 2016; Jayawickreme et al, 2017; Witting et al, 2016). In contrast to some war-torn countries in Africa, Sri Lanka was a rather well-developed country already at the time of independence from the British Empire in 1948 (Lakhsman, 2010).…”

Section: Social Transformation Processes As Psychosocial Stressorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Subtle social stressors of civil wars: Transformation of social networks and psychological distress in Sri Lanka

Fatke

Freitag

2018

International Sociology

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Civil wars entail many harmful consequences for the population beyond physical injuries and casualties. Although recent research has pointed out the importance of psychological distress, it must not be overlooked that not only immediate experiences from civil wars can cause such distress, but also the processes transforming social networks. In this article, the authors argue that wartime transformation is enduring even after the civil war has ended. It is precisely these social processes that are responsible for the psychological footprint on civilians. This claim is tested using original survey data collected in Sri Lanka, which has witnessed a devastating civil war. Results of the regression analysis indicate that social transformation processes are distinctly associated with increased war-related distress. Moreover, social transformation processes partly mediate the relationship between direct exposure to war and distress. These findings have important implications for our understanding of social interventions in the aftermath of civil wars.

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Migration Stressors, Psychological Distress, and Family—a Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee Analysis

Cited by 18 publications

References 28 publications

The Cross-Cultural Validity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in the Indian Context: A Systematic Search and Review

The Cross-Cultural Validity of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in the Indian Context: A Systematic Search and Review

Gender disparities and psychological distress among humanitarian migrants in Australia: a moderating role of migration pathway?

Subtle social stressors of civil wars: Transformation of social networks and psychological distress in Sri Lanka

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