When an individual is accepted as a refugee, they will be living in the new country for a long time, and this process could affect their mental health if it is not taken into account. The World Health Organization estimates that 18% of refugees have symptoms associated with depression or anxiety at any given time (von Werthern et al., 2019). This rate may be higher for some populations, such as Afghanistan and Sudan (von Werthern et al., 2019). These two nations are where post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is prevalent in up to 80% of survivors (von Werthern et al., 2019). Mental health services are generally not accessible in refugee camps or exile communities which further contributes to existing mental disorders among these populations. Individuals facing hardship cannot always control their memories and emotions. Hence, they might start to give up hope and feel overwhelmed by the changes they have been going through (von Werthern et al., 2019). Many factors affect the mental health of refugees: displacement, cultural shock, the trauma of flight, and uncertainty about the future.
The main factor that affects the mental health of refugees is displacement. Displacement is the physical separation of a person from their community, culture, and identity. Displacement occurs when a person’s life is disrupted due to events such as war or natural disasters (Löbel, 2020). When people are displaced, they often form new relationships and create new meaning in their lives outside of their home country. Often people have to leave behind their homes, loved ones, jobs, and possessions (Löbel, 2020). This experience is one of the most traumatic events that can happen to individuals. The uncertainty associated with being displaced can be stressful and cause high anxiety levels, leading to depression or PTSD (Löbel, 2020). Many refugee families who flee from their country are separated during the flight or at first asylum camps, which can cause additional stress on those individuals who are separated from family members. Subsequently, displacement causes refugees to lose connection with their loved ones, leading to various mental issues such as stress.
Refugees are often affected by culture shock, which is a psychological response to the unfamiliar surroundings of a new place. Culture shock can cause many problems for these individuals, such as stress, depression, and anxiety (Kronick et al., 2021). Because these refugees have fled from their normal environment, which stresses them out, they may also suffer from culture shock because they are trying to adapt to their new situation, which can lead to depression and anxiety (Kronick et al., 2021). Refugee stressors include cultural issues such as religion, political attitudes and values, gender roles, language barriers, and individual strategies used to cope with their situation (Kronick et al., 2021). This transition can be difficult for those refugees who have known each other since birth and were raised in the same community or city. It is also common for refugees to have trouble adjusting to the new culture and language (Kronick et al., 2021). This can cause a lot of stress and make it hard for them to make friends with their culture because they feel more comfortable with people like them.
Additionally, each refugee camp has a different culture, which stresses refugees out because they might not get along with their new community. Refugees might feel isolated and find it difficult to become accepted by their community due to cultural differences (Kronick et al., 2021). Cultural issues such as food and hygiene problems are possible in these camps, which makes things more complicated for the refugees who are already feeling stressed (Kronick et al., 2021). For instance, many refugees have limited experience with food in their new homes, so they might have a bad experience eating new foods. Refugee camps lack good hygiene standards, and people can get sick from using the same water sources used by millions of people in their home country (Kronick et al., 2021). These cultural differences are among the factors that can lead to depression, anxiety, and stress among refugees.
The trauma of flight is another factor that affects refugees’ mental health. When refugees flee their country, they experience trauma, such as bomb blasts and the killing of loved ones. Refugees face danger when fleeing from their homeland to escape war and persecution (Löbel, 2020). After these traumatic events, many refugees experience severe psychological reactions, leading to PTSD, grief, or depression in adults and children (Löbel, 2020). Being separated from family members during a flight could affect children’s mental health (Löbel, 2020). For instance, children might develop fear, guilt, and confusion, leading to PTSD if their traumatic experience is not appropriately treated. Additionally, children may have difficulty adjusting to their new lives because they might face a new culture and language, which could cause stress, anxiety, and depression (Löbel, 2020). This means that even when these children go to school, they will have difficulty adjusting and playing with other kids. Hence, without proper care, such children could have various mental conditions that could worsen.
One of the most critical factors contributing to refugees’ mental health is uncertainty about the future. This fear of the unknown creates a lot of anxiety for those trying to adapt to their new life in a foreign land, and it can cause them to feel overwhelmed by everything around them (Kronick et al., 2021). For example, refugees might be worried about their future because they do not know whether or not they will be able to provide for themselves. Many refugees are also concerned about the well-being of their families in the camps, which causes a great deal of stress and anxiety (Kronick et al., 2021). This uncertainty can cause many problems for these individuals and make them anxious. One solution was to create a strategy to help refugees learn how to cope with their situation in a new country to reduce as much anxiety or depression.
In conclusion, refugees fleeing from their country have many mental health problems associated with their experience because of the trauma they endure. These individuals face many stressors, such as uncertainty about their future, the trauma of flight, culture shock, and more which can cause anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Because of this, many refugees have resorted to seeking refugee camp mental health services to cope with their situation in a new country and feel less stress. Many refugee camps are not well established and may lack proper medical care. Many refugees are unaware of where they can get mental health services and usually have no other options than clinics. Sometimes, the best option is to go to the clinic to which their camp has been assigned. However, many refugees do not have access to this service. Therefore, refugee clinics should help deal with trauma, culture shock, and other psychological issues affecting refugees, such as anxiety and depression. Taking care of refugees’ mental health is essential because it will help them prevent these problems from these issues.
References
Kronick, R., Jarvis, G. E., & Kirmayer, L. J. (2021). Refugee mental health and human rights: A challenge for global mental health.Transcultural Psychiatry, 58(2), 147-156.
Löbel, L. M. (2020). Family separation and refugee mental health–A network perspective.Social Networks, 61, 20-33.
von Werthern, M., Grigorakis, G., & Vizard, E. (2019). The mental health and wellbeing of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs). Child abuse & neglect, 98, 104146.