Prevalence of Psychopathology among Syrian Refugees and Future Outlook

Author

Ahmad Hassan, Yale UniversityFollow
Wassim Hassan, University of PennsylvaniaFollow
Ismail El HailouchFollow

Periodical Title

Modern Psychological Studies

Volume

24

Number

1

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2019

Abstract

Nearly one millions Syrian refugees registered by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) currently reside in Lebanon, making it the country hosting the highest number of Syrian refugees in the Middle Eastern region (ILO Employment Profile, 2014). While there are geographical differences in the levels of security, access to medical aid and relief, and socio-economic conditions that the refugees experience depending on where they settle, the vast majority of Syrian refugees are living in tragic conditions. The population of Lebanon has increased by around 25% since the advent of the Syrian civil war in March of 2011, putting pressure on the health-care system and economy of a country already suffering from weak services and infrastructure (van Vilet & Hourani, 2014). Approximately half of all Syrian refugees are under the age of eighteen, and exposure to war and violence places them at high risk for suffering from mental health problems (Sirin, 2015). These mental health problems yield a high cost for society, and the majority of organizations and governments provide little to no mental health treatment to Syrian refugees, focusing solely on supplying medical aid and food supplies. The prevalence of psychopathology among Syrian refugees must be better understood in order to provide optimal mental health treatment to those living in refugee camps.

Subject

Psychology

Keyword

PTSD, Depression, Syria, refugees, emotional disorders

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Recommended Citation

Hassan, Ahmad; Hassan, Wassim; and El Hailouch, Ismail (2019) "Prevalence of Psychopathology among Syrian Refugees and Future Outlook," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 24: No. 1, Article 2.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol24/iss1/2