The AP (2/10, Marcelo) reports that “organizations that work with refugees said it’s too early to assess the full scope of” Syrian “arrivals’ mental health needs.” Some “experts estimate 10 to 20 percent of incoming Syrians will have war-related psychological problems warranting treatment.” For that reason, “experts say it’s important to keep tabs on the emotional state of new arrivals, since symptoms may not appear until months or years later.” The stresses of finding employment, “adjusting to a new culture or dealing with life apart from family” may also “contribute to mental health problems, said” Bengt Arnetz, MD, PhD, MPH, “a professor at Michigan State University who has been studying trauma in Middle Eastern refugees.”
Related Links:
— “REFUGEE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS COULD OVERWHELM, EXPERTS FEAR,” Philip Marcello, Associated Press, February 10, 2016.