scholarly journals Headaches in Moria: a reflection on mental healthcare in the refugee camp population of Lesbos

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (04) ◽  
pp. 96-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Nutting
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Mental Healthcare ◽  
Refugee Camp ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Current State ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
The Common ◽  
Perfect Storm

Having returned from a period of volunteering with a healthcare charity working with the refugee camp population of Lesbos in Greece, a junior doctor reflects on the common presentations he saw and the current state of mental healthcare for these patients. The placement of already-traumatised people in an overcrowded and under-resourced camp environment creates a perfect storm for the emergence of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety. With extremely limited psychiatric care in place, he considers the simple interventions he could use to help his patients with their distressing symptoms. This prompts exploration of the importance of giving time to listen as well as encouraging small but significant lifestyle changes. After exploring the ethics of psychiatric diagnosis in this setting, the author concludes that while we must acknowledge the political origins of some of the symptomatology in this population, we must continue to strive to treat psychiatric illness with all the appropriate interventions available to us in order to help those in this patient group recover and move forward.

scholarly journals Broken Heartstrings—Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Psychological Burden after Acute Mitral Regurgitation Due to Chordae Tendineae Rupture

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 4048
Author(s):  
Anna Cranz ◽  
Anja Greinacher ◽  
Ede Nagy ◽  
Hans-Christoph Friederich ◽  
Hugo A. Katus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mitral Regurgitation ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Chordae Tendineae ◽  
Myocardial Infraction ◽  
Acute Mitral Regurgitation ◽  
Post Traumatic

Chordae tendineae rupture (CTR) is a potentially life-threatening cardiac event often resulting in Acute mitral regurgitation (AMR). We assessed Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety symptoms in n=21 CTR patients with AMR (age 82.3 ± 4.2 years; 66.7% men) and compared them to n=23 CTR patients with Chronic mitral regurgitation (CMR) and n=35 Myocardial infraction (MI) patients. Regression analyses revealed that PTSD scores were significantly higher in CTR patients with AMR than in CTR patients with CMR or MI patients. CTR patients with CMR had the lowest levels of PTSD-symptoms. Depression and anxiety scores were elevated across all three groups. Our results suggest that psychosocial factors need to be considered in CTR patients’ care.

Functional Neuroimaging of PTSD

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-France Marin ◽  
Mohammed R. Milad
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Functional Neuroimaging ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Current State ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Novel Approaches

The merger of neuroscience and psychiatry during the last two decades has enabled psychiatric neuroscience, as a newly refined discipline, to make great advances in understanding pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The advent of neuroimaging tools and the continued exponential growth and sophistication of the methods are key factors underlying advances in the field. In this chapter, informed by neuroimaging tools and basic neuroscience, the authors paint an optimistic canvas to illustrate the current state of knowledge pertaining to the etiology and pathophysiology of PTSD. The chapter describes the state of some recent developments and what is coming on the horizon in terms of novel approaches that may be applied toward the diagnosis and treatment of PTSD.

PTSD and Medical Illness

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Roy-Byrne ◽  
Murray B. Stein
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Medical Illness ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Multiple Perspectives ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Reciprocal Relationships ◽  
Traumatic Exposure ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Post Traumatic

There has been increasing recognition of the important and reciprocal relationship between medical illness and depressive and anxiety disorders. This chapter examines the interrelationship between medical illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a unique disorder with features of depression and anxiety, from multiple perspectives. Medical illness, especially acute, unexpected illness and injury, can serve as a life-threatening traumatic stressor that precipitates PTSD through multiple mechanisms. PTSD, and even traumatic exposure without subsequent PTSD, may increase the risk of a variety of medical illnesses, with the most-studied illness being cardiovascular disease. PTSD may also worsen the course and outcome of already existing medical illness. Extant research has not addressed the possibility that medical Illness may worsen the course or outcome of PTSD, but similar research has shown only limited effects of medical illness on depression and anxiety outcomes. These reciprocal relationships are thought to exert their effects through mutually reinforcing neurobiological mechanisms as well as through effects on health behaviors.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety in adult Syrian refugees: What do we know?

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 677-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma k. Peconga ◽  
Marie Høgh Thøgersen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Background: The crisis in Syria has resulted in vast numbers of refugees seeking asylum in Syria’s neighboring countries and Europe. Refugees are at considerable risk of developing common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Since the war, no systematic review has been conducted regarding the prevalence of these in the Syrian refugee group. Research is needed to develop strategies to improve the integration of Syrian refugees. Objective: This study provides a systematic review of peer-reviewed articles that feature originally collected data regarding the prevalence of post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety in adult Syrian refugees. Methods: The authors searched online databases (PsychInfo, PubMed, PILOTS) for peer-reviewed articles that used validated screening tools to provide mental health prevalence rate estimates in adult Syrian refugees. This article explores potential sources of heterogeneity, including individual risk factors such as demographic and environmental variables. Results: In total, 15 eligible studies provided cross-sectional data for 8176 adult Syrian refugees resettled in 10 countries, with significant variation in assessment and sampling methods. Combined, these studies indicate prevalence rates of 43.0% (range: 23.4–83.4%) for post-traumatic stress, 40.9% (range: 20–44.1%) for depression, and 26.6% (range: 19.30–31.8%) for anxiety morbidity in adult Syrian refugees. Larger and more rigorous surveys reported similar prevalence rates to studies with less rigorous designs, but vast heterogeneity in prevalence of morbidity persisted among all. Conclusions: Syrian refugees could be over 10 times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress and other disorders than the general population. Although there are limitations when comparing studies with different research methodologies, the results of this study suggest increased focus on adequate mental health support is necessary.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety among Gaza Strip adolescents in the wake of the second Uprising (Intifada)

2007 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 719-729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salman Elbedour ◽  
Anthony J. Onwuegbuzie ◽  
Jess Ghannam ◽  
Janine A. Whitcome ◽  
Fadel Abu Hein
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Gaza Strip ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

The efficacy of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among Syrian refugees: results of a randomized controlled trial

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (12) ◽  
pp. 2583-2593 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Acarturk ◽  
E. Konuk ◽  
M. Cetinkaya ◽  
I. Senay ◽  
M. Sijbrandij ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Refugee Camp ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Wait List ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Wait List Control ◽  
Post Traumatic

BackgroundPrevious research indicates a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among refugees. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is an effective treatment for PTSD for victims of natural disasters, car accidents or other traumatic events. The current study examined the effect of EMDR on symptoms of PTSD and depression by comparing the treatment with a wait-list control condition in Syrian refugees.MethodAdult refugees located in Kilis Refugee Camp at the Turkish–Syrian border with a PTSD diagnosis were randomly allocated to either EMDR (n= 37) or wait-list control (n= 33) conditions. All participants were assessed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus at pre-intervention, at 1 week after finishing the intervention and at 5 weeks after finishing the intervention. The main outcome measures were the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ) and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised. The Beck Depression Inventory and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 were included as secondary outcome measures. The Trial Registration no. is NCT01847742.ResultsMixed-model analyses adjusted for the baseline scores indicated a significant effect of group at post-treatment indicating that the EMDR therapy group showed a significantly larger reduction of PTSD symptoms as assessed with the HTQ. Similar findings were found on the other outcome measures. There was no effect of time or group × time interaction on any measure, showing that the difference between the groups at the post-treatment was maintained to the 5-week follow-up.ConclusionsEMDR may be effective in reducing PTSD and depression symptoms among Syrian refugees with PTSD located in a refugee camp.

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