Reframing the mental health stressors of Syrian refugees
September/October 2024 | Volume 23 Number 5
PUBLIC DOMAIN courtesy of Freedom House
Migrants walk on the railway tracks between Bicske and Szar, about 40 km west of Budapest, Hungary.
American University of Beirut researchers propose an innovative model for conceptualizing stressors and their impact on the mental health of Syrian refugees. Their study, funded by Fogarty and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, was published in
Frontiers in Public Health earlier this year.
The number of individuals forcibly displaced has doubled over the past decade. Estimates from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees range as high as 117.3 million individuals affected as of year-end 2023. More than half (52%) of all refugees originate from just three countries—in descending order, the Syrian Arab Republic, Afghanistan, and Ukraine. More than 14 million Syrians have fled their homes since the beginning of the war in 2011, and, of these, nearly 6.8 million are displaced internally. The remainder seek asylum in other countries.
Adult Syrian refugees are up to 10-fold more likely to develop post-traumatic stress and other disorders than the general population of host countries. Number and intensity of traumatic events experienced during wartime contribute to this elevated risk as do factors causing anxiety encountered during displacement. Post-displacement stressors, which include financial, political, and social components, sometimes exert "a more substantial influence on mental health than war-related stressors,” write co-authors Sara Assaf, a PhD candidate funded as a trainee under the grant, Dr. Rima Habib, and Dr. Iman Nuwayhid.
Their study proposes a conceptual framework for how these different types of stressors contribute to survivors’ outcomes. For example, post-displacement causes of stress are interconnected, so interventions targeting one stressor can reduce the occurrence and intensity of other stressors and contribute to better mental health, state the researchers. Importantly, the host country serves as a crucial moderator and can influence the mental health of displaced individuals through policies and acceptance.
The research is based solely on the plight of Syrian refugees. However, their large numbers and resettlement patterns mirror the experiences of other groups displaced by war. Because of this, the researchers believe their framework could serve as a foundation for policymakers and practitioners interested in the health and well-being of all displaced people, no matter their origins.
More Information
Updated October 2, 2024
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