Attitudes and barriers to accessing mental health services among refugees in the United States Introduction The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) definition of a refugee is an individual who is unable to go back to his/her country of origin because of fear of being prosecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political views.1 It is estimated by the end of 2013, there were a total of 16.7 million refugees in the world 2. The United States resettles the greatest amount of refugees and has resettled millions of refugees from all over the world. 3 ,4, 5 While many refugees end up going back to their country or getting resettled to a neighboring country, only a few of …show more content…
Although resettled refugees tend to underutilize mental health care services, only a few studies have investigated in detail why they do not seek these services. Johnson et al. (2014), for instance, studied mental health of resettled refugee women by using the Refugee Health Screener-15(RHS-15), which screens for symptoms associated with anxiety, depression and PTSD among refugee population.16 Their study found that although half of the participants screened
The trauma that refugees experience is a major determinant in their health. Many refugees have experienced great amounts of trauma, which puts them at risk for more health problems. For instance, Wagner et al., (2013) showed that refugees who reported greater trauma symptoms were more likely to report heart disease, hypertension, and lower levels of self-reported health. In addition to exacerbating the physical health problems, trauma was also associated with the following barriers to healthcare: lack of understanding, cost and access problems, and the need for an interpreter. In addition, Wagner et al. (2013) showed that refugee populations who came to the United States 20-30 years ago still exhibited many trauma symptoms. This means that
A refugee is a person who was forced to leave their country. Whether it be from warfare or natural disaster, their homes are no longer safe to live in, so they need to relocate elsewhere. Once someone sets foot on the journey of becoming a refugee, they become vulnerable and dependent with no sense of what the future will bring. In an attempt to accommodate them, first world countries with the resources necessary to assist these refugees, are struggling to determine whether or not they should step-in and help. Some argue that taking them in could come with excessive consequences, while others believe they could be assets. Although there may be a few consequences, they are outweighed by the benefits and undeniable severity of the situation.
After migration when they reach a safe country they do not know how to react. Many refugees suffer from depression and PTSD from witnessing the loss of their leaders or loved ones and even from witnessing mass killings, causing them to be distant and not make any effort to get help. They do not understand involvement in their community when they have reached a safe location. The refugee groups stay together and do not against each other fearing one will or could be killed. At refugee camps, many make the camp a big family from hearing and understanding other victims stories, creating bonds.
Somebody that is forced to leave their country in order to escape war, persecution, or natural disaster is a refugee. There are over 2.3 million Syrian refugees and of those, 45 of them made their home in the united states. In years to come the U.S. will be bringing in more refugees. Most of these refugees do not have any bad intentions when coming to the U.S., but are just looking for a home so they can start to rebuild their life. In order to be brought in, refugees must first go through a security screening.
The most commonly accepted definition of a ‘refugee’ is set out in the United Nations 1951
The United Nations approach on the treatment of refugees is as follows. the Convention relating to the status of Refugees 1967 Protocol defines who a refugee is and explains what Rights countries should afford to refugees. A refugee is a person who is outside of their own country and is unable or unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their; race, religion, nationality, membership of a group or political
According to SIM, various social determinants of health can dictate the presentation and severity of the patient’s illness. The main challenge in delivering effective care of refugee mental health is the complexity and the multi-factorial nature of their suffering. A refugee is identified as someone who was forced to flee his or her country due to traumatic factors such as war, persecution, violence and racism (Moussalli M., 1992). The exposure to these factors instills an overwhelming feeling of fear, submissiveness and vulnerability. As a result, refugees can be at a higher risk of developing debilitating psychological conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety (McKenzie et al., 2010). On the other hand,
As mentioned previously, understanding the available services and health care structure within Australia can be difficult for a refugee. Davidson, N., et al. (2004) discussed the difficulties refugees face finding a regular health care provider due to the structure of visa category entitlements provided by the government. This is also compounded by a fundamental distrust of government services within some refugee cultures. Furthermore Correa-Velez, I., et. al (2005) provides more information regarding refugee health policies and access depending on whether they are in an onshore or
They propose three solutions: voluntary repatriation, local integration, and resettlement (UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 28). The UNHCR adds that “The three solutions are complementary in nature and, when applied together, can form a viable and comprehensive strategy for resolving a refugee situation” (UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 28). Voluntary reparation is helping a refugee safely and proudly return to their country of origin, allowing them to resume their former lifestyle (UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 31). Local integration is attempting to grant the refugee a permanent right to stay in the host country, and possibly become a citizen (UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 34). Resettlement is transferring refugees from the original country they fled to, to another State that agreed to accept them and grant permanent settlement, and sometimes citizenship (UNHCR Resettlement Handbook 36). This book provides extensive details on policies used by the UNHCR, which will be helpful when writing the Policy
In today’s society where most of us are sheltered physically and emotionally, have we ever stopped to think about the unfortunate ones who have been forced to live their lives differently? We are often carried away with basking in our riches that we forget to take a moment to think for those who aren’t as lucky as us. What else can we call those who have nowhere to go and nothing to do— no place to call home, no job to call an occupation, no purpose to speak of? With more people being forced out of their homelands to seek greener grass on the other side, refugee rates are on a constant rise.
In the Illness of Exile, it is reported that 90% of refugees suffer from depression, with post-traumatic stress disorder being overserve in approximately 50% (Moorehead,217). These mental illnesses highlighting the importance of addressing these issues before they become more severe. It is the job of clinicians to help address these issues and develop treatment plans that will best benefit the victims. Helping them to come to terms with their new notions of humanity. Clinicians must work diligently to prevent victims from succumbing to helplessness, by helping them accept its personal and social meaning.
Let’s start by defining what it is to be a refugee. A refugee is any citizen of a nation who is forced to flee due to persecution or unsafe living conditions.
The UNHCR refugee interpreter training module refers to interpreters as “cultural mediators who bridge the gap created by cultural differences between two people who would not be able to understand each other if what they say was literally translated” (18). Many of the therapists involved in Miller et al.’s study acknowledged that they are likely to rely on interpreters as cultural consultants who help them understand the cultural context of the clients’ experiences (30). The Refugee Health Technical Assistance Center recommends that healthcare professionals “encourage the interpreter to ask questions and to alert [them] about potential cultural misunderstandings that may come up” (“Best Practices for Communicating Through an Interpreter). They are also urged to respect an interpreter’s judgment that a particular question is culturally inappropriate. Sometimes the interpreter needs to stop interpreting and elaborate briefly on the topic being discussed (Benhamida 18). Björn’s analysis of several mental health cases suggests that the interpreter may be more likely to act as an advocate in cases that involve refugee children and adolescents, especially if their parents are not present
A refugee is defined as an individual who has been forced to leave their country due to political or religious reasons, or due to threat of war or violence. There were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2014, 14.4 million under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 2.9 million more than in 2013. The other 5.1 million Palestinian refugees are registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). With the displacement of so many people, it is difficult to find countries willing to accept all the refugees. There are over 125 different countries that currently host refugees, and with this commitment comes the responsibility of ensuring these refugees have access to
United Nation High commission for refugees UNHCR is the lead organisation helping refugees throughout the world. UNHCR began providing assistance to the bhutanese refugees starting from the early 90’s.Minorities following hindu as a religion in Bhutan were compelled to leave the country .All the Citizenship,houses,land,properties were seized by the government.Members of an ethnic minority population living in southern Bhutan began to flee the rising levels of violence and persecution at the hands of the Bhutanese government. Nepal, a neighbouring country of bhutan sheltered as many as 100000 bhutanese in the western part of the country.However Nepal going through its own political and financial instability,appealed UNHCR for further possible solution.Countries like Australia, India, USA, UK agreed on sheltering those refugees upon agreement.Since early 2008, over 80,000 refugees have been resettled to eight different countries. The vast majority—more than 70,729 i.e 66 percent of the total