The impact of trauma exposure characteristics on post-traumatic stress disorder and psychiatric co-morbidity among Syrian refugees

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Psychiatry Research

Publication Date

1-1-2018

Abstract

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. This study investigated the impact of trauma exposure characteristics on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychiatric co-morbidity among Syrian refugees. One thousand one hundred and ninety-seven refugees residing in Turkey and Sweden participated in the research. They completed the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire-28. Forty-three percent of refugees met the cutoff for PTSD. After adjusting for location of residence, witnessing horror and exposure to life threat and assault were significantly correlated with PTSD and psychiatric co-morbidity respectively. Death of, or life threat to family members or friends were significantly correlated with both distress outcomes. Refugees residing in Turkey had significantly higher levels of PTSD, psychiatric co-morbidity and trauma characteristics than those living in Sweden. To conclude, Syrian refugees who witnessed horror, life threat or had family or friends die, tended to have elevated psychological distress. Levels of distress among resettled refugees can vary depending on country of resettlement. We recommend systematic mental health screening and implementation of psychotherapeutic interventions to address issues pertaining to subjective experience of resettlement and trauma exposure for Syrian refugees.

ISSN

0165-1781

Publisher

Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Volume

259

First Page

310

Last Page

315

Disciplines

Life Sciences

Keywords

Post-traumatic stress disorder, Psychiatric co-morbidity, Syrian refugees, Trauma exposure

Scopus ID

85032453007

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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