The Mental Health of Refugees

Written By: Kelly Trinh

Hook:

With every war and invasion, there are always mentions of physical resources for refugees; safe houses, food, and clothing. But what about mental health resources for refugees? Escaping war zones with political powers fighting for dominance is a stressful ordeal in itself, and with the addition of a new environment and possibly a new language, many refugees’ mental health is spiraling downwards. Despite the poor mental health of refugees being widely known, few are actually recommended and directed to resources that may help improve their mental well-being. This is an issue that needs to be resolved and improved on. To truly help an individual adapt and rebuild their life, we have to help them emotionally and mentally. Physical aid is always a must for helping refugees rebuild their life, but we, as a community, must understand that fixing the exterior may not always help fix the interior. Both areas have specific needs, and refugees need the resources and support of the people around them to help them build a better life.

Background/Summary:

As many know, refugees are defined as people who are forced to leave their country due to the fear of persecution, political conflict, war, or natural disaster. Naturally, with forced migration, many stressors that occur damage mental health, causing even the strongest individuals to falter. With an unbelievable amount of stress, many refugees struggle to stay afloat mentally and oftentimes will not. Stressors can occur throughout the migration journey, but one of the most common ones is obstacles blocking refugees from having their basic needs met. This can be caused by poor living conditions and a lack of a support system. Unfortunately, due to beliefs and the stigmas with mental health, many refugees might not be aware that they have mental disorders or symptoms of them. Others may not even believe that they exist and believe it is just a way of calling them “weak”. Many refugees will outright refuse mental health care due to their beliefs and, in general, have a poor relationship with mental health.

Impact:

Stressors can occur before, during, and after the migration journey. The main stressors for refugees before the journey are typically the reasons why they decide to leave their home country. It ranges from violence and poverty to a lack of educational opportunities. Meanwhile, during the journey, exposure to life-threatening situations and a lack of resources to meet their basic needs are the main stressors. After the long and arduous journey comes the difficult obstacles of legal paperwork, assimilation, and more. The sheer amount of issues that refugees can face is endless. Statistically, refugees are more likely to have anxiety, depression, and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD for short).

Statistics of services refugees are typically referred to
Source: American Psychiatric Association

It is incredibly shocking that only about 3% of refugees are referred to mental health services or even made aware of it, when so many refugees are at risk for developing mental disorders due to all the stress they must deal with. Even if some refugees may not agree with or seek a diagnosis for their mental health, it is better to inform them that it is an option rather than making it seem like a taboo. While the American Psychiatric Association states, “Early mental health care should, therefore be a priority for resettled youth …”, it must also be made clear that older individuals/adults can struggle mentally as well. While age can change how a person is affected by an experience, everyone can be impacted and traumatized. Everyone deserves to receive the care they need.

Struggles:

Struggles with mental health in refugees can affect how their assimilation in their new environment goes, which in turn can negatively affect them. Due to their lack of control over their mental health and not knowing how to ask for help, they may become aggressive towards those around them, which can cause those helping them to feel uncomfortable. The discomfort might deter volunteers from supporting refugees, which leads to even more damage to the refugee’s mental health and can cause an endless downward spiral in mental health because they do not have the resources to change their behavior. Other times, they may withdraw and isolate themselves from support systems, turning to substances or other unfavorable practices to cope with their deteriorating mental health. In the case of children, they may struggle with academic performance, attachment issues, and behavioral issues. However, it must be noted that each individual’s coping mechanism and response differs; there is no set response or behavior. It is entirely a case-by-case basis and mental health should not be generalized or stereotyped.

A refugee struggling to cope with the issues life has thrown at him
Photographer: Ploy Phutheng

Aid Efforts:

The main organizations attempting to aid and help refugees with their mental health are the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). WHO has made plans to further develop and strengthen health care services for refugees, both in mental health and physical health. In partnership with the UNHCR and various other organizations, they plan to promote mental well-being and prevent mental disorders altogether. For now, such things can be considered a far-fetched dream, but with the collaboration of organizations and ordinary citizens of countries, it is possible. WHO is committed to addressing mental health and finding viable treatments for mental disorders to help everyone. Its aim is to achieve one of the many goals of the current 2030 Agenda of Sustainable Development: to leave no one behind. To do so, they are trying to promote and ensure human rights along with reducing mortality and the causes that make refugees flee their home country.

Call to Action:

Now, you may have read through this article and thought, “I’m just some random person, how am I supposed to make a change and help these people? Just leave it up to the professionals.” While it is true that professionals can help refugees with their mental health more, ordinary citizens can still contribute. So, what are some things you can do?

Research resources/services for refugees and refer the services to them. If you don’t know how to start, I recommend taking a look at Mental Health for Migrant & Refugee Communities or Refugee Behavioral Health.
Be welcoming of refugees who may enter your community.
Try to make refugees in your community feel safe and not alienated.
Educate others and defeat the stigma associated with mental health.
Be mindful of others and have some empathy. Everyone is fighting their own battle and deserves to be supported.