Refugees and asylum seekers are individuals who are forced to flee and are seeking safety from their home country in another country (called host country) and in this process, go through concerning physical, emotional and psychological turmoil. A lack of basic rights, fear of safety, traumatic experiences, disrupted and inadequate social support are commonly observed among refugees. Due to their adverse experience, refugees go through and grow through many challenges on a daily basis.
According to research, 32% of refugees and asylum seekers suffer from major depressive disorder. In comparison to the general population, refugees and asylum seekers have significantly higher rates for and are at a higher risk for mental health disorders and issues.
Mental Health Issues in Refugees
Within the group of refugees and asylum seekers, the most vulnerable are refugee children due to their age and the severe or extreme circumstances they grow up in or are displaced in. Let’s look at the prevalence of mental health issues and disorders in refugees as well as refugee children.
Data for adult refugees and asylum seekers:
- 31% prevalence for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- 32% for Major Depressive Disorder
- 5% prevalence for Bipolar Disorder
- 1% prevalence for psychosis
- Suicide rates range between 4.1 to 25.5% for refugees granted asylum and 4.0 to 51.2% for asylum seekers
- Over 61% experience sever mental distress
Data for refugee children:
- 25% suffer from loneliness
- 24% report feeling depressed
- 40-48% prevalence for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- 10% prevalence for anxiety disorders
Refugee children mental health
Refugee children face significant mental health challenges owing majorly to growing up in a traumatic environment and experiencing stressors associated with displacement. Often refugee children will go through issues like emotional instability, insecure attachment, PTSD, mood disorders, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, neurodevelopmental disorders and eating disorders.
Due to their a high frequency and intensity of exposure to violence, a constant threat and fear, lack of safety, and probable inadequate care, negligence, abuse and further, social stigma or discrimination can lead to development of psychological issues and strain for refugee children.
Refugee access to mental health services
Dealing with such critical concerns is quite complex as there can be many barriers to access of mental health services and therapeutic care. Firstly, a major barrier would be accessing mental health services due to a lack of finances or a lack of affordable services.
Secondly, a social or cultural stigma, language barrier, cultural difference can also be discouraging factors and create a barrier.
Thirdly, even though there are high rates and complex mental health issues among refugees, only 1 in every 5 refugees is actually seeking professional help.
Lastly, a lack of appropriately trained professional support can also be a barrier, for such critical concerns evidence-based and trauma focused interventions are required. Let’s look at some interventions or therapeutic care for refugee children’s concerns.
Refugee children mental health and effective interventions
These are some therapeutic interventions that have been found to be effective in helping refugee children cope with mental health issues:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) helps children and their caregivers in processing traumatic experiences following a structured and evidence-based approach using relaxation techniques, psychoeducation, emotional coping modulation, cognitive processing techniques.
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET/KIDNET) helps children in constructing a chronological narrative of their traumatic experiences in order to help them process the trauma. This therapy focuses on giving the child controlled, gradual exposure to their traumatic memories and to process and deal with them.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a psychotherapeutic approach that helps in processing and recovering from traumatic experiences using guided bilateral stimulation of eye movements, taps or sounds while the child or individual focuses on the traumatic memory in order to reduce the emotional intensity and further reinforce positive beliefs to overcome the memory using relaxation techniques to ensure closure.
Trauma Systems Therapy for Refugees (TST-R) is a specifically designed comprehensive intervention method developed by The National Child Traumatic Stress Network for treating traumatic stress in children and adolescents that addresses both individual, and social or societal factors that are fueling traumatic problems in minors. This method uses community and parent engagement, preventative skill-based groups for refugee youth to enhance mental health and social support, and intensive interventions for refugee youth who have significant or severe mental health needs including both individual therapy and family therapy.
It is important to remember that by using evidence-based, trauma-focused interventions that are culturally appropriate and keep in mind the unique needs, challenges, experiences of refugee children, effective and adequate support can be provided to this vulnerable population.
If you are or you know someone who is a refugee child or adult seeking mental health services, it is recommended that you look for trauma-informed therapists, cognitive behavior therapists or professionals specializing in trauma counseling and EMDR to get appropriate help and results as addressing the mental health concerns of refugees requires comprehensive yet focused mental health support and interventions that consider the complexities of adverse experiences of refugee individuals, children and their families.
At North America Behavioral Health Services, we understand the unique needs, challenges and experiences of refugee children. We believe that adequate support for refugees is of the utmost importance. If you know someone who needs help, reach out to us and we will connect them with trauma-informed therapists or Cognitive Behavioral Therapists who will address their issues in a respectful manner.
