You don’t need to be a clinical psychologist like me to appreciate that fleeing war and repression and trying to start a new life abroad takes its toll on refugees. I see the mental scars every day working with people in northern Greece.
The enduring harm has been spelt out this week by researchers in Stockholm and London. Their settling in Sweden before 2012 shows that they are, on average, 2.5 times more likely to end up with a psychotic disorder than the average population. These mental illnesses can reduce life expectancy by 25 years.
The study suggests that this increased risk is due to the repeated exposure to trauma, abuse as well as socioeconomic disadvantage and the discrimination that they have faced.
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I’m now based in the refugee camp in Idomeni, on the border between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and I can certainly testify to these experiences. More than 13,000 desperate men, women and children are stranded here, waiting for the border to reopen so that they can continue their journey in search of safety. This is the latest flashpoint in Europe’s refugee crisis.
The vast majority of those seen here by the (MSF) mental health team have fled war, extreme violence and persecution. But they’ve also endured the stress and terror of many other traumatic experiences on their journey. Many have come close to death, have been on sinking boats and witnessed others drowning. The psychological impact of this repeated violence is compounded by the inhumane living conditions in which they now find themselves and the uncertainty about their future as governments in Europe argue over their fate.
Severe symptoms
Without a doubt, all of this has a profound impact on their mental health. Every day I treat patients experiencing fairly common reactions to extreme stress. Most feel overwhelmed, distressed, sad and angry – others are suffering from anxiety and shock. I often talk to people who have difficulty sleeping and are plagued by nightmares. Others are grieving.
I also see people with more serious symptoms of mental illness. A few days ago, MSF’s mental health team met a man from Afghanistan with severe depressive symptoms. He was having suicidal thoughts and said he felt hopeless. He had lost his children a few weeks ago in the sea near Turkey.
Last month, I met a man, travelling with his family, who had symptoms of bipolar disorder. His wife told me about the difficulties they had faced before being forced to flee their country. Conditions on their journey had been bad and their lives had been put in danger by smugglers.
As a consequence, the man felt unable to protect his family. The symptoms had started a couple of weeks earlier, and the stress of being trapped at Idomeni camp with no prospect of a future had aggravated his condition.
The refugees at Idomeni still regard themselves as being in transit. They have not reached their final destination and, unfortunately, in my experience the mental health of refugees often deteriorates even further once they have settled in a country.
It is vital that people get access to professional psychological support at this point, for their future development and wellbeing. Otherwise, they risk experiencing long-term mental health conditions such as complex post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.
Despite all this, the people I have met in Greece have also taught me how strong human beings can be. I have learnt that the most important thing I can do is to help empower people, to build up their resilience and to help them reclaim their dignity. This way, I can only hope that they will have the strength to continue their journeys and eventually to rebuild a life for themselves and their families.
You don’t need a degree in psychology to give people back their self-worth – you just need to give them the respect that all human beings deserve.
Roza Moisidu is a clinical psychologist with
Journal reference:
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