Refugee Trauma:
Refugee trauma refers to the psychological distress and emotional suffering experienced by individuals who are forced to flee their home country due to war, persecution, violence, or disaster. This trauma can occur at multiple stages of the refugee experience: pre-flight, during displacement, and post-migration.
1. Causes of Refugee Trauma
- War and violence: Exposure to bombings, shootings, torture, or witnessing death.
- Persecution: Religious, political, ethnic, or gender-based threats.
- Loss: Death or separation from family, home, livelihood.
- Flight: Dangerous journeys, trafficking, starvation, or detention.
- Resettlement stress: Culture shock, racism, poverty, unemployment, or legal uncertainty.
2. Common Psychological Symptoms
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Depression and anxiety
- Survivor guilt
- Sleep disorders and nightmares
- Hypervigilance and emotional numbness
- Grief and bereavement
3. Vulnerable Populations
- Children and unaccompanied minors
- Elderly refugees
- Survivors of torture or sexual violence
- LGBTQ+ refugees
- Women at risk of gender-based violence
4. Protective Factors
- Stable housing and legal status
- Social support (family, community, cultural networks)
- Access to mental health services
- Language learning and employment opportunities
- Cultural sensitivity in host country institutions
5. Treatment and Support
- Trauma-focused therapies: CBT, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), narrative exposure therapy.
- Psychosocial support: Community groups, schools, religious institutions.
- Psychiatric care: For severe depression or PTSD.
- Resilience-building programs: Especially for children and adolescents.
Shervan K Shahhian
LIBERTY PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION 