Mental Health of Syrian Refugees

Video published on YouTube by euronews on December 2, 2014

A civil war conflict in Syria in 2011 has claimed more than 100,000 citizens of the Middle Eastern nation, according to a United Nations estimate. What initially began as protests against President Bashar al-Assad and the national government, quickly turned into a war between the Shia-majority government and the Sunni-minority rebel groups that opposed it. Both sides have continued the conflict with support from other international organizations. Somewhere in the ballpark of 3 million Syrians left their country to take refuge in nearby nations, including Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Egypt and Iraq. The UN estimates that about a third of Syrian refugees moved to Lebanon. This influx of people (right around 1 million) increases their population by more than 20% (Lebanon has just under 5 million citizens). Based on relative populations, that's equivalent to the city of Chicago or the state of West Virginia packing up their bags and moving to New York City for an indefinite stay. It's akin to Lebanon deciding to host a large international event like the Olympics, but they didn't get plan for it 8 years in advance and all of their guests need food have healthcare.

Refugees of a brutal war bring very specific mental health needs with them to their new informal settlements. The trauma of war and displacement in addition to exploitation, tension within communities and increased domestic violence can work to increase rates of anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and developmental problems in children. The health infrastructure in host countries like Lebanon are not prepared to provide adequate care for these refugees, and there is an acute shortage of funding and awareness of need for increased health service. Part of the lack of funding is the result of donor efforts to provide housing and food, which are also in short supply but take away from mental health care budgets. Many times when financial aid appears to be in short-supply, I tend to assume that a more creative use of funds and improved allocation would make significant strides towards correcting the problem. It is very difficult for me to justify those assumptions with regards to situations such as these. Refugees move to situations where the basic structures and institutions of society do not exist to support their personal agency. Income generation opportunities, education, healthcare, security, housing - all of the things rely on communities to help us obtain - no longer exist for them. As a result, their lives in a tangible purgatory must be funded extensively by outside sources.

Even if funding was at the ready, many on-the-ground aid organizations lack expertise and personnel to facilitate mental health care. The lack of mental health care availability is most impact on the children and adolescents living in refugee communities. A UN report titled "Situation Analysis of Youth in Lebanon Affected by the Syrian Crisis" highlights the lack of support structures for youth that is increasing unsafe sex, violence, and substance use in the refugee communities. Many are facing long-term economic harms, leaving their educational opportunities (which are limited) behind to search out work. Unfortunately, these challenges and tragedies are not unique to Syrian refugees, but are faced by many people who leave their homes as a result of conflict.

Resources:

Shaheen, Kareem. "Lebanon ill-equipped to handle mental-health issues of Syrian refugee children". The Washington Post. September 27, 2014.

Watters, Charles. "Emerging Paradigms in the Mental Health Care of Refugees." Social Science & Medicine 52.11 (2001): 1709-718. Web.