The Relationship Between Trauma, Post-Migration Problems and the Psychological Well-Being of Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Carswell, Kenneth; Blackburn, Pennie; Barker, Chris

doi:10.1177/0020764009105699

Cited by 276 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Upon arrival to their destinations, the problems associated with the asylum procedure, socioeconomic difficulties and weak social support (e.g., isolation, separation from family) translate into poor mental health (Carswell, Blackburn, & Barker, 2011). Under certain circumstances, these adverse experiences may lead to pathological conditions such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders and existential crises (Fazel, Wheeler, & Danesh, 2005;Slobodin & Jong, 2015).…”

Section: Introduction Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting posttraumatic growth among the refugee population in Spain: A community‐based pilot intervention

Paloma

Morena

López-Torres³

2019

Health Soc Care Community

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Various international organisations have identified the development of programmes that mitigate the negative impact that forced displacement has on refugees’ mental health as a priority intervention area. From this perspective, this study seeks to lend empirical support to a community‐based pilot intervention aimed at promoting posttraumatic growth (PTG) among refugee adults arrived to Seville, the capital of Andalucía (southern Spain). PTG constitutes a mental health indicator that refers to the positive personal transformations refugees undergo as a consequence of experiencing forced displacement. This concept does not negate the undeniable personal suffering forced displacement causes for refugees; rather, it focuses on the positive changes this event has the potential to bring about. Forty‐seven individuals (age, M = 33 years; 20 women) from several countries in conflict participated in the intervention over 15 weeks (March–June 2017). The implementation process comprised two phases: (a) training a group of settled refugees to become peer mentors; and (b) holding cultural peer‐support group sessions made up of newly arrived refugees led by the mentors. Following quantitative and qualitative data collection (using the ‘Posttraumatic Growth Inventory’ (PTGI; Tedeschi & Calhoun, Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1996, 9, 455) and participants’ written evaluations and comments, respectively), and adopting a pretest‐posttest evaluation design, significant improvements were found in four of the five PTG factors: ‘appreciation of life’, ‘personal strength’, ‘relating to others’ and ‘new possibilities’. However, no significant differences were observed for ‘spiritual change’. We also documented implementation outcomes which revealed high intervention acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility. This study highlights how PTG shown by the refugee population can be actively improved through a community‐based intervention, specifically by creating supportive community settings that adopt a mentorship and peer‐based approach. The limitations and contributions of this research that address the current challenges behind promoting the mental health of refugees in places of settlement are discussed.

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Section: Introduction Smentioning

confidence: 99%

Promoting posttraumatic growth among the refugee population in Spain: A community‐based pilot intervention

Paloma

Morena

López-Torres³

2019

Health Soc Care Community

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“…Victims of trafficking may also experience significant stressors related to their insecure immigration status such as further incidents of imprisonment (for example, for having used false documents while under the control of traffickers), or of immigration detention. Research has consistently demonstrated that a long asylum determination procedure and other post-migration adversities contribute to mental health problems (14–16). Immigration detention has also been shown to be associated with mental health problems (17).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Female Victims of Trafficking Using Narrative Exposure Therapy: A Retrospective Audit

2017

Front. Psychiatry

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BackgroundHuman trafficking is a form of modern slavery that involves the forced movement of people internally within countries, or externally across borders. Victims who are trafficked for sexual exploitation are subject to repeated, multiple trauma, and high rates of mental health problems including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been found. Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD.MethodsIn this retrospective audit, we record the results of NET to treat 10 women who had been trafficked for sexual exploitation who were diagnosed with PTSD.ResultsAll 10 women completed the therapy and experienced a reduction in PTSD severity scores at posttreatment, with improvements that were maintained or further improved at 3-month follow-up. General distress was also significantly reduced following treatment.ConclusionAlthough limited by sample size and retrospective design, this audit demonstrates that NET is a feasible treatment for PTSD in this population and warrants further evaluation in a randomized controlled trial. Further adjunctive interventions may also be necessary to treat the additional psychological problems experienced by this population.

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“…Fazel et al, 2005;Mitschke, Aguirre and Sharma, 2013;Steel et al, 2009). Carswell et al (2011) concluded that post-migration stress is related to poorer mental health upon arrival in the host country. Many refugees arrive in their host countries with mental health issues as a result of trauma experienced pre-arrival.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Listening to refugees: How traditional mental health interventions may miss the mark

Mitschke

Praetorius

Kelly

et al. 2016

International Social Work

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Understanding the dynamics of mental health of recently resettled refugees is an essential component of any comprehensive resettlement program, yet establishing the components of a successful and acceptable mental health intervention is an elusive task. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 resettled refugees from five countries who had received treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, or anxiety. Themes generated from the interviews emphasized the need for strong group-based social support as well as a focus on practical needs such as acquiring and maintaining employment, language and literacy training, and access to care.

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The Relationship Between Trauma, Post-Migration Problems and the Psychological Well-Being of Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Cited by 276 publications

References 23 publications

Promoting posttraumatic growth among the refugee population in Spain: A community‐based pilot intervention

Promoting posttraumatic growth among the refugee population in Spain: A community‐based pilot intervention

Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Female Victims of Trafficking Using Narrative Exposure Therapy: A Retrospective Audit

Listening to refugees: How traditional mental health interventions may miss the mark

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