The Impact of an Insecure Asylum Status on Mental Health of Adult Refugees in Germany
[Background] Forcibly displaced people have a higher chance of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to people who have not experienced displacement. In addition to potentially traumatic events due to war, persecution, and flight, post-migration living stressors are an important...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Clinical Psychology in Europe |
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| Online Access: | https://cpe.psychopen.eu/index.php/cpe/article/view/6587 |
| _version_ | 1797967099254013952 |
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| author | Victoria Sophie Boettcher Frank Neuner |
| author_facet | Victoria Sophie Boettcher Frank Neuner |
| author_sort | Victoria Sophie Boettcher |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | [Background] Forcibly displaced people have a higher chance of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to people who have not experienced displacement. In addition to potentially traumatic events due to war, persecution, and flight, post-migration living stressors are an important influencing factor. Among these, an insecure asylum status is one of the main stressors with which forcibly displaced people must cope. The aim of this study was to investigate the additive effect of an insecure asylum status on PTSD symptomatology in refugees, over and above the influence of other pre- and peri-migration factors, in particular potentially traumatic event types reported and duration of stay in Germany. [Method] Two overlapping convenience samples of 177 and 65 adult refugees that were assessed at different timepoints were interviewed by means of face-to-face interviews. Interviews were conducted in either Arabic, Farsi, Kurmancî, English, or German with the assistance of interpreters where necessary. Besides residence status and potentially traumatic events experienced, mental distress was assessed via the Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15; Study A) and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5; Study B). [Results] In both samples, an insecure asylum status explained a significant additional amount of variance of PTSD symptomatology, on top of traumatic events experienced and time since arrival in Germany. [Conclusion] Results suggest that refugees with an insecure asylum status are at higher risk for experiencing increased PTSD symptomatology. Policy changes of asylum procedure in receiving countries could have a positive impact on refugees’ mental health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:24:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-648988e0193a45909550e41963ba8329 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2625-3410 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T02:24:45Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical Psychology in Europe |
| spelling | doaj.art-648988e0193a45909550e41963ba83292023-01-02T22:50:40ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyClinical Psychology in Europe2625-34102022-03-014110.32872/cpe.6587cpe.6587The Impact of an Insecure Asylum Status on Mental Health of Adult Refugees in GermanyVictoria Sophie Boettcher0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1524-8012Frank Neuner1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5427-3432Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyDepartment of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany[Background] Forcibly displaced people have a higher chance of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to people who have not experienced displacement. In addition to potentially traumatic events due to war, persecution, and flight, post-migration living stressors are an important influencing factor. Among these, an insecure asylum status is one of the main stressors with which forcibly displaced people must cope. The aim of this study was to investigate the additive effect of an insecure asylum status on PTSD symptomatology in refugees, over and above the influence of other pre- and peri-migration factors, in particular potentially traumatic event types reported and duration of stay in Germany. [Method] Two overlapping convenience samples of 177 and 65 adult refugees that were assessed at different timepoints were interviewed by means of face-to-face interviews. Interviews were conducted in either Arabic, Farsi, Kurmancî, English, or German with the assistance of interpreters where necessary. Besides residence status and potentially traumatic events experienced, mental distress was assessed via the Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15; Study A) and the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5; Study B). [Results] In both samples, an insecure asylum status explained a significant additional amount of variance of PTSD symptomatology, on top of traumatic events experienced and time since arrival in Germany. [Conclusion] Results suggest that refugees with an insecure asylum status are at higher risk for experiencing increased PTSD symptomatology. Policy changes of asylum procedure in receiving countries could have a positive impact on refugees’ mental health.https://cpe.psychopen.eu/index.php/cpe/article/view/6587refugeesforcibly displaced peoplemental healthpost-traumatic stress disorderinsecure asylum statuspost-migration living stressors |
| spellingShingle | Victoria Sophie Boettcher Frank Neuner The Impact of an Insecure Asylum Status on Mental Health of Adult Refugees in Germany Clinical Psychology in Europe refugees forcibly displaced people mental health post-traumatic stress disorder insecure asylum status post-migration living stressors |
| title | The Impact of an Insecure Asylum Status on Mental Health of Adult Refugees in Germany |
| title_full | The Impact of an Insecure Asylum Status on Mental Health of Adult Refugees in Germany |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of an Insecure Asylum Status on Mental Health of Adult Refugees in Germany |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of an Insecure Asylum Status on Mental Health of Adult Refugees in Germany |
| title_short | The Impact of an Insecure Asylum Status on Mental Health of Adult Refugees in Germany |
| title_sort | impact of an insecure asylum status on mental health of adult refugees in germany |
| topic | refugees forcibly displaced people mental health post-traumatic stress disorder insecure asylum status post-migration living stressors |
| url | https://cpe.psychopen.eu/index.php/cpe/article/view/6587 |
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