Refugees and populations exposed to mass conflict

Book section : Chapter

The mental health implications of forced migration because of conflict, leading to large populations of displaced and refugee adults and children, are the focus of this chapter. The factors leading to forced migration are discussed in light of their impacts on mental illness, both in the short and long term. Rates of mental illness, especially depression, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, are raised in these populations, with exposure to torture and other forms of violence the strongest predictors for subsequent disorders. A framework for assessment is proposed, and a discussion of the cycles of violence that can impact on children and women raised. Specific populations of note are considered, including those in immigration detention, unaccompanied minors, and trafficked populations. The range of interventions that have been trialled to treat mental illness in refugee populations are presented.

Authors: Fazel, M; Rees, S; Silove, D

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Host title: New Oxford Textbook of Psychiatry
• Pages: 1401–1412
• Chapter number: 138
• Series: Oxford Textbooks
• Publication date: 2020-03-01
• Edition: 3
• DOI: 10.1093/med/9780198713005.003.0138
• EISBN: 9780191836428
• ISBN: 9780198713005
• Language: English
• Keywords: refugee; depression; post-traumatic stress disorder; asylum seeker; PTSD; mental illness; conflict; violence; migration
• Subtype: Chapter