Prevalence of mental disorders and torture among Tibetan refugees: A systematic review
Edward J Mills,Sonal Singh,Timothy H. Holtz,Robert M. Chase,Sonam Dolma,Joanna Santa-Barbara,James Orbinski +6 more
TLDR
It is indicated that the prevalence of serious mental health disorders within this population is elevated and the reported incidence of torture and imprisonment is a possible contributor to the illnesses.Abstract:
Background: Many Tibetan refugees flee Tibet in order to escape physical and mental hardships, and to access the freedoms to practice their culture and religion. We aimed to determine the prevalence of mental illnesses within the refugee population and determine the prevalence of previous torture reported within this population. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search of 10 electronic databases from inception to May 2005. In addition, we searched the internet, contacted all authors of located studies, and contacted the Tibetan Government-in-exile, to locate unpublished studies. We included any study reporting on prevalence of mental illness within the Tibetan refugee populations. We determined study quality according to validation, translation, and interview administration. We calculated proportions with exact confidence intervals. Results: Five studies that met our inclusion criteria (total n = 410). All studies were conducted in North India and 4 were specifically in adult populations. Four studies provided details on the prevalence of torture and previous imprisonment within the populations. The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder ranged from 11–23%, anxiety ranged from 25–77%, and major depression ranged from 11.5–57%. Conclusion: Our review indicates that the prevalence of serious mental health disorders within this population is elevated. The reported incidence of torture and imprisonment is a possible contributor to the illnesses. Non-government organizations and international communities should be aware of the human rights abuses being levied upon this vulnerable population and the mental health outcomes that may be associated with it.read more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Common mental disorders in asylum seekers and refugees: umbrella review of prevalence and intervention studies
Giulia Turrini,Marianna Purgato,Francesca Ballette,Michela Nosè,Giovanni Ostuzzi,Corrado Barbui +5 more
TL;DR: It is found that depression and anxiety were at least as frequent as post-traumatic stress disorder, accounting for up to 40% of asylum seekers and refugees, and cognitive behavioral interventions were the most studied interventions with positive outcomes against inactive but not active comparators.
Journal ArticleDOI
History, principles, and practice of health and human rights.
TL;DR: The changing views of human rights in the context of the HIV/AIDS epidemic are discussed and further development of the right to health is proposed by increased practice, evidence, and action.
Journal ArticleDOI
Psychiatric Disorders in Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons After Forced Displacement: A Systematic Review
TL;DR: A systematic review of the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among forcibly displaced populations in settings of armed conflicts shows a substantial lack of data concerning the wider extent of psychiatric disability among people living in protracted displacement situations.
Journal ArticleDOI
Understanding the mental health consequences of family separation for refugees: Implications for policy and practice.
TL;DR: It is found that family separation was a major source of distress for refugees and that it was experienced in a range of ways: as fear for family still in harm’s way, as a feeling of helplessness, as cultural disruption, as the greatest sources of distress since resettlement, and contributing to mixed emotions around resettlement.
Journal ArticleDOI
Life Skills Training as an Effective Intervention Strategy to Reduce Stress among Tibetan Refugee Adolescents
Tsering Yankey,Urmi Nanda Biswas +1 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors considered 10 core skills which are relevant across cultures are decision making, problem solving, creative thinking, critical thinking, effective communication, interpersonal relationship, empathy, self-awareness, coping with emotions and coping with stress.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Prevalence of serious mental disorder in 7000 refugees resettled in western countries: a systematic review.
TL;DR: Refugees resettled in western countries could be about ten times more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder than age-matched general populations in those countries.
Journal ArticleDOI
Predisplacement and postdisplacement factors associated with mental health of refugees and internally displaced persons: a meta-analysis.
Matthew Porter,Nick Haslam +1 more
TL;DR: The extent of compromised mental health among refugees (including internally displaced persons, asylum seekers, and stateless persons) using a worldwide study sample is meta-analytically established.
Journal ArticleDOI
Indochinese versions of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25: a screening instrument for the psychiatric care of refugees.
TL;DR: The authors describe the development and validation of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese versions of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25, a brief, simple, and reliable instrument that offers an effective screening method for the psychiatric symptoms of anxiety and depression, and is especially helpful for evaluating trauma victims.
Journal ArticleDOI
Psychological responses to war and atrocity: the limitations of current concepts.
TL;DR: It is argued that because concepts such as PTSD implicitly endorse a Western ontology and value system, their use in non-Western groups should be, atmost, tentative.
Journal ArticleDOI
Disability associated with psychiatric comorbidity and health status in Bosnian refugees living in Croatia
Richard F. Mollica,Keith McInnes,Narcisa Sarajlić,James Lavelle,Iris Sarajlić,Michael P. Massagli +5 more
TL;DR: In a population of Bosnian refugees who had recently fled from the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, psychiatric comorbidity was associated with disability independent of the effects of age, trauma, and health status.