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Refugee families during asylum seeking
1Department of Child Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, FI-20520 Turku, Finland. andre.sourander@utu.fi
Nordic Journal of Psychiatry
|May 31, 2003
Summary
Refugee families in asylum centers experience significant distress, with high rates of depression and PTSD symptoms. Fear of deportation and family separation are key stressors, yet most receive no mental health support.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Sociology
Background:
- The mental health of refugee families with children during the asylum period is under-researched.
- This study examines the psychosocial situation of 10 refugee families in a Finnish asylum center.
Observation:
- Case vignettes illustrate the daily distressing situations faced by families.
- Adult refugees exhibit high rates of depressive and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms.
Findings:
- Families experience constant distress, not solely post-traumatic symptoms.
- Primary stressors include fear of deportation and family separation.
- Most adults and all children lacked psychiatric or psychotherapeutic assessment/treatment.
Implications:
- Asylum procedures may exacerbate stress, confusion, and psychiatric issues in traumatized refugee families.
- There is a critical need for accessible mental health services for asylum-seeking families.
- Further research is needed to understand and mitigate the mental health impact of the asylum process.