Mental Health Struggle among Refugees
Introduction
Refugees struggle with mental issues as they try to adjust to host countries. It may be as a result of trauma or immigration procedures. The risk may be higher in women, children, older people, and individuals who have experienced trauma. Culture has a way of shaping a person’s believes in mental health and their adherence to professional care. Therefore, medical professionals should put this into consideration while handling mental health patients. The world health organization (WHO) has made it a priority to deal with the psychological distress of refuges so that they can cope with everyday stress and become more emotionally stable. Though not all, most refugees have experienced trauma and significant loss in their home countries and need to go through a healing process before they can succeed in their new home. Refugee-hosting counties need to come up with programs that help the victims to heal and adapt to the new environment (Bogic, Njoku, & Priebe, 2015). The video on refugee mental matters provides information on the kind of mental illnesses that are common among refugees and possible explanations as to why that is so. It also gives testimonials from refugees who have dealt with different mental illnesses. Refugees rely on psychological aid for emotional support, which is essential for them to regain confidence in themselves and become productive members of society.
- Why are Women at a Higher Risk of Mental Illness Compared to Men?
Refugees are likely to undergo mental distress during the transition into the new environment. However, women who are the most vulnerable in the population are expected to struggle more. Men, compared to women, are more emotionally stable and are likely to survive severe conditions (Rees, Ventevogel, & Silove, 2017). The vulnerabilities of women put them at a higher risk compared to men. For instance, women are prone to gender-based violence, in which violence is inflicted on a person based on their status as a woman. The hardening of borders to reduce the refugee population in many counties has affected women since refugees are forced to take riskier routes. These routes form an obstacle for women since most of them are unable to survive. When they do, they are likely to undergo mental distress. Another factor that can put women at risk is changing gender roles where, apart from taking care of children and the household, women have become breadwinners for their families. It may increase stress for putting them at a higher risk of acquiring mental disorders.
Cultural Influence on Mental Illness.
Culture plays an essential role in shaping a person’s perspective concerning mental illness. Every person has a different way in which they interpret mental illness depending on their family, ethnicity, culture, and country. Various studies reveal different interpretations of mental illnesses and the willingness to seek medical care from professionals. While European Americans are more likely to sort psychiatric care and attribute mental health to the biomedical attribute of the condition, .other groups such as the Latinos Chinese and the African Americans rely on non-biomedical characteristics of mental illness. They are less likely to seek medical care from professionals. Social stigma is prevalent in many cultures, and this may affect a patient’s willingness to seek help and follow treatment. Social workers handling the mental health of refugees should consider how various cultural believes may impact their view on mental health. This will require approaching each different case of mental health differently depending on the aesthetic thinks of a patient.
Common Mental disorders among refugees.
There are specifies disorders associated with refugees. The most common disease that refugees struggle with is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is caused by past exposure to a stressful or traumatic experience. As mentioned earlier, most refugees have experienced trauma in their home countries before fleeing to the nation they deem safer. Thus it is likely that they may suffer from this disorder, which can be triggered by the stressful environment in the host country. Patients report having flashbacks from experiences they have had before leaving their counties to seek asylum in other nations. This is one condition associated with PTSD that most people struggle with as they try to adjust to their host countries. Depression is also common among refugees, which is again caused by stress. This is mostly experienced by conflict-displaced refugees who find it challenging to cope and may even turn to substance abuse (Rasmussen & Miller, 2017). Most people experience trouble sleeping in a common condition called insomnia, which is a primary symptom of depression. Therefore there is a need for proper psychological care for these underprivileged group people for them to get through the agony and become productive members of society.
- Why should Social Workers put more Emphasis on PTSD Assessing among Refugees?
Social workers dealing with refugees should take the PTSD disorder into high consideration when dealing with refugees as well as determine the cause and response of individuals from the disease ( Barrett, Murray, Winer, & Ellis, 2019). PTSD is the most common disorder among refugees and, therefore, should be taken into high consideration when handling patients’ mental health. The disorder also has significant and damaging effects on the mental wellness of refugees and should not be taken lightly. Refugees have different experiences that may have resulted in their trauma, and therefore it is crucial to identify the route cause in an individual rather than generalizing. It is also vital for social workers to examine responses that are likely to be triggered by particular events in persons experiencing PTSD. Resistance to treatment is common among refugees who suffer from mental disorders due to fear of stigma. This mindset may result from the patient’s background and culture, which influences their attitude towards mental illness. Social workers can apply various strategies that help patients comply with treatment. They should first understand the patients’ culture so that they can know the best way to approach the patient. They can also try to find more information about the country of origin of a particular patient, their reason for fleeing for refuge, and the challenges they had to face and continue to face in their host country. Social workers should also treat each case independently. These strategies will enable the patient to feel understood and heard hence more likely to comply with treatment. The world health organization has initiated the established specialized these kinds of mental health programs that refugees all over the world can benefit from.
Conclusion
In summary, refugees are at high risk of mental illnesses. The host nation is, therefore, encouraged to develop programs that will help refugees cope. This is important because it enables them to adjust with easy and become productive members of society. Many refugees struggle with PTSD and depression and therefore require therapy to overcome such disorders. The PTSD disorder being the most common among refugees should be given top priority while assessing patients’ mental health. The immigration process is also considered traumatic due to the challenges that immigrants face during their journey and arrival. Immigrants may face financial and economic constraints due to a lack of opportunities and anti-immigrant policies set by nations. This could contribute to more stress, and eventually, refuges may suffer mentally. The most vulnerable when it comes to refugee mental issues are women and older people and children.it is also important to emphasize that women are at a higher risk of when it comes to psychological problems compared to men. Mental wellness of refugees should be considered essential, and proper measures should be undertaken to deal with the condition.
References
Barrett, C., Murray, K., Winer, J. P., & Ellis, H. B. (2019). Understanding the Mental Health of Refugees: Trauma, Stress, and the Cultural Context. Springer Link, 253-273. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8918-4_7
Becher, E., McCleary, J. S., Wieling, E., & Shannon, P. J. (2014). Beyond Stigma: Barriers to Discussing Mental Health in Refugee Populations. Taylor & Francis Oline, 281-296. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2014.934629
Bogic, M., Njoku, A., & Priebe, S. (2015). The long-term mental health of war-refugees: a systematic literature review. Springer Link, 20-67. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-015-0064-9
Rasmussen, A., & Miller, K. E. (2017). The mental health of civilians displaced by armed conflict: An ecological model of refugee distress. 129-138. doi:https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796016000172
Rees, S., Ventevogel, P., & Silove, D. (2017). The contemporary refugee crisis: an overview of mental health challenges. Wiley Oline Library, 130-139. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20438