[Psychosocial problems among refugees in Norway]

172 patients were examined and treated by the Psychosocial Team for Refugees in Norway from 1 January 1986 to 15 November 1988. The patients came from 21 countries, the majority from Iran, Chile and Vietnam. Various reactive conditions dominated the clinical picture, and 53 patients had posttraumatic stress disorder, which was the most frequently occurring single diagnosis. The patient group had been exposed to a number of overwhelming experiences and at least half had been tortured. The therapists identified separation and loss, traumatic experiences and social isolation in exile as the factors of greatest importance for the development of the patients' conditions. 46% of the patients were found to have improved at the end of the treatment.