Examining implementation of an intervention to reduce psychological distress and intimate partner violence in a refugee camp setting

An integrated approach to reduce intimate partner violence and improve mental health in humanitarian settings requires coordination across health and protection services. We developed and tested the Nguvu intervention, which combined evidence-based interventions for psychological distress and intimate partner violence among Congolese refugee women in Nyarugusu refugee camp (Tanzania). We conducted 29 semi-structured interviews with Nguvu participants and stakeholders to explore the relevance, acceptability, feasibility, and impact of this intervention.

 

NO PEACE OF MIND : The looming mental health crisis for the children of Ukraine

This report warns that, because of the conflict in Ukraine, millions of children are likely to suffer from mental health impacts now and into the future. World Vision is concerned that the war is subjecting children to constant fear and hopelessness, increasing their immediate stress responses and increasing their risk for specific mental disorders such as PTSD, depression, and anxiety.

A neglected aspect of refugee relief works : Secondary and vicarious traumatic stress

The literature demonstrates evidence that secondary traumatic stress (STS) and vicarious traumatic stress (VTS) may adversely affect the well-being of refugee relief workers and, thus, the quality of their services.

Remember the armed men who wanted to kill mum?" : The hidden Toll of Violence in Al Hol on Syrian and Iraqi CHildren

Around 57,000 people live in Al Hol camp in North East Syria - 64% of them are children. Almost 50% of the camp’s population are under the age of 12. Originally established in 1991, Al Hol was reopened in 2016 when anti-ISIS operations began in Iraq, sending thousands of Iraqi civilians across the border into Syria in search of safety. From 2016 to 2018 there was an influx of Syrian internally displaced people (IDPs). During the final offensive against ISIS in Hajin and Baghouz in early 2019, the camp’s population skyrocketed from approximately 9,800 people to over 73,000 people.

What is geopsychiatry?

Geopsychiatry is a relatively new and exciting field in psychiatry. The discipline studies the interface between geography and psychiatry. The main focus in the field is on the impact and effects due to various factors such as climate change, disasters, globalisation, population growth and movement, urban conglomerations, agricultural production, industrialisation, geopolitics, socio-economic transformations, and cultural practices in the mental health-mental illness processes.

Ten years of tracking mental health in refugee primary health care settings : an updated analysis of data from UNHCR’s Health Information System (2009–2018)

Background: This study examines mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) service usage within refugee camp primary health care facilities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by analyzing surveillance data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Health Information System (HIS). Such information is crucial for eforts to strengthen MNS services in primary health care settings for refugees in LMICs.

 

Chapter : Mobilizing resources in multifamily groups

Refugees and asylum seekers exposed to cumulative stress due to organized violence, forced migration and then lengthy asylum procedures have a significant risk of suffering from a number of serious complaints. This chapter describes a systemic approach to prevention and psychosocial interventions for traumatized refugee families that has been developed in the authors' institute.

Trauma-focused treatments for refugee children : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of KIDNET versus EMDR therapy versus a waitlist control group (KIEM)

Background: Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugees is reportedly higher in comparison to the general population. Refugee children specifically are often coping with trauma and loss and are at risk for mental health difficulties. With staggering numbers of people seeking refuge around the world and 50% being 18 years or younger, research examining the effects of trauma-focused therapies for refugee children with PTSD is highly needed.

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