Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Refugees and Displaced Populations: Is Enough Being Done?
Lana Ruvolo Grasser Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USACorrespondence: Lana Ruvolo Grasser, 3901 Chrysler Dr., Suite 2C Room 273, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA, Tel +1 248 535 6371, Email lgrasser@med.wayne.eduAbstract: There a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Dove Medical Press
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Risk Management and Healthcare Policy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.dovepress.com/addressing-mental-health-concerns-in-refugees-and-displaced-population-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-RMHP |
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| author | Grasser LR |
| author_facet | Grasser LR |
| author_sort | Grasser LR |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Lana Ruvolo Grasser Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USACorrespondence: Lana Ruvolo Grasser, 3901 Chrysler Dr., Suite 2C Room 273, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA, Tel +1 248 535 6371, Email lgrasser@med.wayne.eduAbstract: There are over 82.4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, about a quarter of whom are resettling as refugees. In the wake of the global refugee crisis spurred by conflict, religious and political persecution, human rights violations, and climate disasters, a mental health has crisis followed. Not only does trauma experienced in home countries and as part of forced migration affect mental health, so too do post-migration traumatic events, discrimination, lack of access to quality and affordable healthcare and housing, and acculturation. To address mental health concerns in refugees and displaced populations, collective action is needed not only from health care providers but also from mental health researchers, funders, journals, resettlement agencies, government entities, and humanitarian organizations. The present review highlights the work of numerous scholars and organizations with the goal of understanding the mental health concerns of forcibly displaced persons within and across ecological systems. The present review seeks to bring attention to the experiences of forcibly displaced persons, summarize the growing body of research understanding the acute and chronic effects of forced displacement and possible interventions, and give a call to action for all members of the global community at every level to engage in joint efforts to improve mental health in refugees and displaced persons. Notably, there is a need for more interventions at the familial and community level that serve not only as treatment but also as prevention. Smartphone-based interventions, mind-body modalities, and interventions delivered by lay and non-clinician community members hold promise. Numerous strides could be made in refugee mental health and treatment when funding agencies include these goals in their research priorities. Despite the challenges they have faced, persons who resettle as refugees are incredibly resilient and deserve to be afforded every right, opportunity, dignity, and respect.Keywords: refugees, trauma, mental health, PTSD, intervention |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:50:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0c4477ed24d04c268a01e401abee6846 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1179-1594 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T23:50:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Dove Medical Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Risk Management and Healthcare Policy |
| spelling | doaj.art-0c4477ed24d04c268a01e401abee68462022-12-22T02:24:05ZengDove Medical PressRisk Management and Healthcare Policy1179-15942022-05-01Volume 1590992275112Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Refugees and Displaced Populations: Is Enough Being Done?Grasser LRLana Ruvolo Grasser Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USACorrespondence: Lana Ruvolo Grasser, 3901 Chrysler Dr., Suite 2C Room 273, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA, Tel +1 248 535 6371, Email lgrasser@med.wayne.eduAbstract: There are over 82.4 million forcibly displaced people worldwide, about a quarter of whom are resettling as refugees. In the wake of the global refugee crisis spurred by conflict, religious and political persecution, human rights violations, and climate disasters, a mental health has crisis followed. Not only does trauma experienced in home countries and as part of forced migration affect mental health, so too do post-migration traumatic events, discrimination, lack of access to quality and affordable healthcare and housing, and acculturation. To address mental health concerns in refugees and displaced populations, collective action is needed not only from health care providers but also from mental health researchers, funders, journals, resettlement agencies, government entities, and humanitarian organizations. The present review highlights the work of numerous scholars and organizations with the goal of understanding the mental health concerns of forcibly displaced persons within and across ecological systems. The present review seeks to bring attention to the experiences of forcibly displaced persons, summarize the growing body of research understanding the acute and chronic effects of forced displacement and possible interventions, and give a call to action for all members of the global community at every level to engage in joint efforts to improve mental health in refugees and displaced persons. Notably, there is a need for more interventions at the familial and community level that serve not only as treatment but also as prevention. Smartphone-based interventions, mind-body modalities, and interventions delivered by lay and non-clinician community members hold promise. Numerous strides could be made in refugee mental health and treatment when funding agencies include these goals in their research priorities. Despite the challenges they have faced, persons who resettle as refugees are incredibly resilient and deserve to be afforded every right, opportunity, dignity, and respect.Keywords: refugees, trauma, mental health, PTSD, interventionhttps://www.dovepress.com/addressing-mental-health-concerns-in-refugees-and-displaced-population-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-RMHPrefugeestraumamental healthptsdintervention |
| spellingShingle | Grasser LR Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Refugees and Displaced Populations: Is Enough Being Done? Risk Management and Healthcare Policy refugees trauma mental health ptsd intervention |
| title | Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Refugees and Displaced Populations: Is Enough Being Done? |
| title_full | Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Refugees and Displaced Populations: Is Enough Being Done? |
| title_fullStr | Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Refugees and Displaced Populations: Is Enough Being Done? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Refugees and Displaced Populations: Is Enough Being Done? |
| title_short | Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Refugees and Displaced Populations: Is Enough Being Done? |
| title_sort | addressing mental health concerns in refugees and displaced populations is enough being done |
| topic | refugees trauma mental health ptsd intervention |
| url | https://www.dovepress.com/addressing-mental-health-concerns-in-refugees-and-displaced-population-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-RMHP |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT grasserlr addressingmentalhealthconcernsinrefugeesanddisplacedpopulationsisenoughbeingdone |