A Scoping Review of the Mental Health Burden among Syrian Refugees

Presenter

Grace Emily Kuhn

Group Members

Ann-Rita Nanyunja, Sayali Bhalerao, Rida Paul El Chami

Campus

UMass Amherst

Sponsor

Krishna Poudel, Department of Health Promotion and Policy, UMass Amherst

Schedule

Session 3, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A26, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 2 (A21-A40) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

Grace Kuhn, Rida El Chami, Ann Nanyunja, Sayali Bhalerao

Abstract

Background: There are about 6.49 million refugees from Syria. These refugees are subjected to various issues, such as exposure to violence, discrimination, and unemployment, among others, which have adverse effects on their mental health. We conducted a scoping review to examine the mental health burden and potential behavioral or social risk factors among Syrian refugees.

Methods: We searched PubMed for studies published from 2013 to 2023. We included published English language studies providing estimates specific to Syrian refugees on: (a) the prevalence of mental health disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety and (b) behavioral or social risk factors.

Results: Thirty publications met the inclusion criteria: twenty-seven cross-sectional and three cohort studies. Twenty-eight studies provided the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, ranging from 5.9 to 84%), depression (ranging from 12.2 to 59.4%), and anxiety (ranging from 13.5% to 60%). Twenty-eight studies showed PTSD, depression, and anxiety to be associated with a wide range of risk factors, including female gender, older age, exposure to war, disappearance or torture of loved ones, and a lack of resources in refugee camps.

Conclusion: The scoping review revealed a high mental health burden among Syrian refugees. Our findings suggest the urgent need for psychological crisis management as well as mental health promotion interventions to decrease the burden of mental health problems and improve the mental well-being of Syrian refugees.

Keywords

Syria, Syrian refugees, Refugee camp, Mental health

Research Area

Migration and Refugees

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