Mental health symptoms in Iraqi refugees: posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.
Author: Jamil H, Farrag M, Hakim Larson J, Kafaji T, Abdulkhaleq H, Hammad A
Source:
Journal of cultural diversity, 14(1).
Refugees suffer from a higher rate of mental health symptoms than the general
population since they have experienced extreme suffering and the accumulated
effects of traumBecause of the diversity of regions from which refugees
originate, there is a need to understand some of the unique experiences that are
specific to each sub-groups of immigrants. The purpose of the present study was
to explore mental health symptoms in Iraqi refugee clients who immigrated to the
United States after the Gulf War of the early 1990's. As part of a larger study,
116 adult Iraqi immigrants to the United States (46 male, 70 females) who were
seeking mental health services completed measures of anxiety, depression, and
posttraumatic stress disorder. As expected, the majority of refugees reported
intense anxiety and depression, and many met the DSM IV criteria for
posttraumatic stress disorder. Like refugees from other countries-of-origin,
Iraqi refugees are in need of culturally sensitive assessment and mental health
treatment. The results are discussed in light of the treatment needs of Iraqi
refugee clients, their resilience and motivation for a better life, and the ways
that health professionals can assist in optimizing their adjustment.