Having worked with many refugees, Pim Scholte explains the human side of the refugee crisis from the point of view of a psychiatrist. This april  Pim Scholte at the Academiegebouw of the University of Utrecht held a TED talk under the titel: 'The case of refugees. A case of social bonds'. The presentation is part of a yearly series, organised by University colledge Utrecht.

A significant body of literature documents the neural mechanisms involved in the development and maintenance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there is very little empirical work considering the influence of culture on these underlying mechanisms.

According to the UNHCR, a record number of around 60 million people are currently displaced worldwide. In 2015, more than 1 million refugees and asylum seekers had reached Europe across the Mediterranean Sea, with more than 50% constituting Syrians.1 Around 59.000 refugees and asylum seekers arrived in the Netherlands in 2015.2 Given the on-going civil war in Syria and difficult conditions in the regional countries, it is not likely that the refugee influx will reduce substantially in the following years.

Thousands of young refugees are currently entering Europe.They are exposed to many risks pre-flight, during their flight, and upon arrival, which make them vulnerable for the development of mental health problems. Our expertise as mental health professionals is crucial for the promotion of a healthy adaptation of these young people and their families and to lower their risks. In addition, it is important to identify young refugees with developing or preexisting serious mental disorders and to ensure access to evidence-based psychiatric treatment.