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Cologne: Most of the time they have left their homes carrying nothing but the bare essentials; but their burden is often amongst the heaviest. A study by the Technical University of Munich has shown that almost a third of all refugee children coming from Syria are psychologically strained, and that every fifth child suffers from a post-traumatic stress disorder. Among the adults, the numbers could be even more severe. The German Federal Chamber of Psychotherapists is working from the assumption that up to half of all refugees suffer psychological effects from their experiences.
Reactions to traumatic events “may be manifested as a wide range of problems,” says Dr. Boris Budosan, Mental Health Expert at Malteser International. “Emotional problems include sadness, grief, fear, frustration, anxiety, anger, and despair. Cognitive problems, such as loss of control, hopelessness, and even medically unexplained physical complaints – as well as social and behavioral problems – like withdrawal, aggression, and interpersonal difficulties are also common.”
When it comes to the social integration of people who come seeking help, assisting those who are suffering from trauma is an immense task – but, as Malteser International’s experience shows, not an impossible one. “The great majority of refugees and disaster-affected people are not mental health patients, but suffer from different stress reactions: which are normal reactions to abnormal situations, such as war, displacement, and the loss of family members”, says Budosan. “First of all, we have to allow them a way back to normality as soon as possible. That means taking care of security, housing, food, and work or training. Children in particular can recover very well very quickly if they are given a stable environment. The second essential thing is long-term, professional psychosocial care given – in the best case – as soon as possible after their arrival.”
That is why Malteser International is engaged in the psychosocial care of displaced people and refugees in many countries around the world – above all in the Ukraine and in Turkey. In the Ukraine, affected people can receive psychosocial support provided by Malteser International at seven locations – including the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, as well as the city of Kiev – in the form of personal and group discussions. In Kilis, Turkey, Malteser International works with a team of Syrian psychologists and social workers at a field hospital and community center in order to provide psychosocial support of Syrian refugees and their families. A further project providing psychosocial support for traumatized refugees and displaced people in northern Iraq is currently being developed.
You can read the story of Batoul Abras – psychologist in Malteser International’s project in Kilis, who is herself a refugee here, as well as that of Lesnaya Oksana, head of the psychosocial center in the Ukrainian city of Severodonetsk in the Donbass region here.
For editors: Dr. Boris Budosan, Malteser International’s Mental Health Expert is available for interviews.
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About Malteser International:
Malteser International is the humanitarian relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta. With over 100 projects annually in some 25 countries in Africa, Asia and the Americas, Malteser International has been standing by those affected by poverty, disease, conflict and disaster, helping them lead a healthy life with dignity – without distinction of religion, race or political persuasion. Christian values and the humanitarian principles build the foundation of its work. For more information: www.malteser-international.org and www.orderofmalta.int
