Importance of Considering Mental Health Among Refugee Populations

By Grace Jeffries

Moving away from home is something that many people have had the chance to experience in their lifetime. Whether it’s simply going away for college or following a new job opportunity, moving is a common part of many people’s lives. The move for Refugees, however, is often under quite extreme and displacing circumstances. When refugees must flee their homes, they are not doing so simply to explore a new country or follow a new opportunity, they often are doing so out of fear for their safety and a need for a new and safe home environment. Often the extreme circumstances refugees face leave them with traumatising memories and experiences that follow them to their new place of residence. Supporting the mental health of refugees is therefore incredibly important and is a focus of many refugee support organizations.  

Many refugees flee from underdeveloped home countries that don’t recognize or support the need for mental health support to begin with. This means that they may not have the tools to recognize how their displacement is affecting their mental health and may not recognize the signs of a need to ask for help regarding mental health concerns. Such lack of support in home countries means a lack of usage of available mental health services in their migrant country. It is the work of the refugee support associations then to look for such signs and help promote mental health awareness rather than simply treating the symptoms experienced by the refugees.  

The unique nature of the refugee experience makes a typical mental health screening mostly unhelpful for assessing incoming refugees. Often this is true because of the stigma that exists in displaced communities surrounding mental health. The process of deconstructing stigma is therefore increasingly important when assessing Refugee Mental health. It’s crucial for those interested in supporting incoming displaced refugees to recognize and promote the available resources for support.  

There are also added stressors that come with integrating into a new life and new country for refugees that can help perpetuate the trauma that they have already experienced. The racism, lack of financial support, language barrier, and housing and employment difficulties that they may potentially face can exacerbate the trauma symptoms and make life even more difficult for refugees. Recognizing the mental health struggles that refugees face is a key factor in refugee advocacy and is important to consider when regarding the refugee experience.  

As community members, one of the most helpful ways to support the mental health journey of Refugees is to help ensure a healthy and safe social integration for them into their newfound community. Promoting social inclusion and offering a helping force of support can go a long way to ensure that Refugees can integrate into new communities with a welcomed feeling.  

References: 

https://www.who.int/news/item/10-10-2023-five-key-themes-for-improved-mental-health-care-for-refugees-and-migrants 

https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/refugee-mental-health 

https://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/wp-content/uploads/drupal/2016-01-25_refugee_mental_health_backgrounder_0.pdf