How to Support Refugees Mentally?

Empathy is one of the most important things you should do towards those who faced horrific times being within wars. Whether they are males, females, adults, or kids, suffering from mental health problems is possible after all of these hard situations. According to Diana Rayes, a senior research associate at World Refugee & Migration council, it is tough to say who is the most affected category of refugees by mental health problems. 

 

Rayes says that it depends on the context and depends on how old they were when they experienced the symptoms of these problems. For example, those who grew up as children and then became teenagers during the Syrian conflict experienced a lot of trauma early on in their lives, and maybe they found ways to cope or to be resilient against mental health problems. 

 

On the other hand, the refugee adults may face mental health problems because they carry the most burden; they are worried about their family members, themselves, and the future so this is where we usually see mental symptoms in the adult category. 

 

The Non-Resident Fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy explained that in the U. S. in particular the main category of refugees who face mental health problems are the refugee adults who are struggling while the kids might enter into schools and be able to integrate and find ways to cope.

 

Mental health problems should not be stigmatized, however, culture and xenophobia play roles in affecting the mental health of refugees. In this audio interview, we will discuss with Diana Rayes these roles and how we can play positive roles to support the mental health of refugees.