The Mental Health Crisis Within the Refugee Crisis

There is no doubt that forced migration of any kind inflicts trauma. People must leave their homes all too frequently due to violence, climate change, religious persecution, or other factors. After suffering through traumatic experiences that forced them to migrate in the first place, refugees are faced with the emotional and psychological effects caused by the journey to and reestablishment in an entirely new society. Forced migration only complicates the mental damage caused by the factor causing migration.

Refugees face mental health issues such as extreme depression, panic disorders, and, most prevalently, post-traumatic stress disorder. It is estimated that PTSD rates reach 86% among some refugee populations. Refugees are five times more likely to face serious mental health issues than the general population. However, refugees and displaced persons are far less likely to receive psychiatric care. 

Simply put, there are not enough mental health resources devoted to helping refugees. This is due to a lack of funding and the cultural stigma against seeking help for mental issues, which results in inaccurate statistics. Thus, many researchers suggest preventive measures be put into place to lower the rate of poor mental health in refugee populations in the first place. Research shows that religious practices, educational services, employment opportunities, and other community-based programs can benefit the mental well-being of victims of forced migration. Overall, refugees need to stay involved in their community once they have resettled. Emphasis needs to be placed on helping displaced persons to reintegrate, keeping in mind cultural stigmas and differences. 

A person is primarily shaped by their childhood. As roughly half of the world’s refugees are children, the world may soon see a large influx of adults with mental health issues as these children grow up and begin to feel the effects of their childhood traumas fully. It is estimated that 35-50% of these children suffer from various mental health disorders. Coupled with the mental strain of being forced to leave the only place they have ever known, children are especially susceptible to mental health issues because they may not fully understand what has happened. With many of these children experiencing extreme violence, poverty, separation from their families, and the treacherous journey to an entirely new place, more emphasis needs to be placed on caring for the world’s refugee children’s mental health, just as much as their physical health. With proper attention and recognition of their experiences, a displaced child can grow into a fully functional member of their new society. 

The refugee crisis is, in large part, a mental health crisis. We must support victims of forced migration with the mental health services they need and consider their various traumas and experiences. This should start with treating child refugees for mental health disorders and helping them understand their situation. There needs to be increased recognition of mental health issues within all refugee populations to implement systematic and concrete services. Victims of forced migration require the highest standard of care to help to cope with their traumas. 

Sources: 

https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/specific/ptsd_refugee.asp https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/b99490 https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/children-49c3646c1e8.html

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