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Impairments in psychological functioning in refugees and asylum seekers
Josef S Baumgartner1, Antonia Renner1, Thomas Wochele-Thoma2
1Clinical Division of Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Frontiers in Psychology
|January 23, 2024
Summary
Refugee migration impacts daily functioning, with mobility and participation most affected. Current psychological symptoms, like depression and PTSD, significantly impair overall functioning and specific domains for asylum seekers and refugees.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Refugees face significant psychological distress due to pre-, peri-, and post-migration stressors.
- Limited understanding exists regarding how migration experiences affect refugees' everyday functioning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze how different aspects of psychological functioning are affected by migration in refugees and asylum seekers.
- To identify specific domains of daily functioning most impacted by migration and associated psychological factors.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study involving 1,101 refugees and asylum seekers in Europe and Türkiye.
- Assessment of demographics, social support, psychological symptoms (depression, PTSD), quality of life, and lifetime traumatic events.
- Multiple regression models using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0) to evaluate functioning domains.
Main Results:
- Highest reported impairments were in 'mobility' and 'participation', followed by 'life activities' and 'cognition'.
- Depressive and posttraumatic symptoms were independently linked to overall psychological functioning and all WHODAS 2.0 subdomains.
- History of violence/abuse predicted greater 'participation' impairment, while near-death experiences correlated with fewer 'self-care' issues.
Conclusions:
- Psychological functioning impairments in refugees and asylum seekers are strongly associated with current psychological symptoms.
- Difficulties in mobility and participation may hinder resettlement, integration, and community engagement in new environments.
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