Psychopathology and Associated Risk Factors Among Forcibly Displaced Syrian Children and Adolescents

Vahdet Gormez; Hale Nur Kılıç; A. Cahid Orengul; Merve Nursoy Demir; Şeyma Demirlikan; Sibel Demirbaş; Betül Babacan; Kerem Kınık; Bengi Semerci

doi:10.1007/s10903-017-0680-7

Psychopathology and Associated Risk Factors Among Forcibly Displaced Syrian Children and Adolescents

Vahdet Gormez^*, Hale Nur Kılıç, A. Cahid Orengul, Merve Nursoy Demir, Şeyma Demirlikan, Sibel Demirbaş, Betül Babacan, Kerem Kınık, Bengi Semerci

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

43 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

More than half of the 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees in Turkey are under 18 years of age. This study investigates prevalence of psychopathology and associated risk factors in refugee children in Turkey. Of a total of 218 children aged 9–15 years, 56.2% lost someone important to them, 55.1% saw dead or wounded people, 70.4% witnessed explosions or gun battles, 42.5% witnessed people being tortured and 25.6% personally experienced cruelty/torture during war. Prevalence of PTSD was 18.3% and that of anxiety-related disorders were as high as 69.0%. Death of an important person (p =.032) and male gender (p =.040) were associated with PTSD; whilst exposure to cruelty or torture (p =.014) and increasing duration of refuge (p =.042) were significantly associated with development of anxiety disorders. Findings of the present study reveals existence of the expected but unspoken mental health needs among the Syrian children in Turkey.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	529-535
Number of pages	7
Journal	Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume	20
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-017-0680-7
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2018
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Anxiety
Mental health
PTSD
Refugee children
Trauma
Turkey

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title = "Psychopathology and Associated Risk Factors Among Forcibly Displaced Syrian Children and Adolescents",

abstract = "More than half of the 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees in Turkey are under 18 years of age. This study investigates prevalence of psychopathology and associated risk factors in refugee children in Turkey. Of a total of 218 children aged 9–15 years, 56.2% lost someone important to them, 55.1% saw dead or wounded people, 70.4% witnessed explosions or gun battles, 42.5% witnessed people being tortured and 25.6% personally experienced cruelty/torture during war. Prevalence of PTSD was 18.3% and that of anxiety-related disorders were as high as 69.0%. Death of an important person (p =.032) and male gender (p =.040) were associated with PTSD; whilst exposure to cruelty or torture (p =.014) and increasing duration of refuge (p =.042) were significantly associated with development of anxiety disorders. Findings of the present study reveals existence of the expected but unspoken mental health needs among the Syrian children in Turkey.",

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AU - Gormez, Vahdet

AU - Kılıç, Hale Nur

AU - Orengul, A. Cahid

AU - Demir, Merve Nursoy

AU - Demirlikan, Şeyma

AU - Demirbaş, Sibel

AU - Babacan, Betül

AU - Kınık, Kerem

AU - Semerci, Bengi

PY - 2018/6/1

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N2 - More than half of the 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees in Turkey are under 18 years of age. This study investigates prevalence of psychopathology and associated risk factors in refugee children in Turkey. Of a total of 218 children aged 9–15 years, 56.2% lost someone important to them, 55.1% saw dead or wounded people, 70.4% witnessed explosions or gun battles, 42.5% witnessed people being tortured and 25.6% personally experienced cruelty/torture during war. Prevalence of PTSD was 18.3% and that of anxiety-related disorders were as high as 69.0%. Death of an important person (p =.032) and male gender (p =.040) were associated with PTSD; whilst exposure to cruelty or torture (p =.014) and increasing duration of refuge (p =.042) were significantly associated with development of anxiety disorders. Findings of the present study reveals existence of the expected but unspoken mental health needs among the Syrian children in Turkey.

AB - More than half of the 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees in Turkey are under 18 years of age. This study investigates prevalence of psychopathology and associated risk factors in refugee children in Turkey. Of a total of 218 children aged 9–15 years, 56.2% lost someone important to them, 55.1% saw dead or wounded people, 70.4% witnessed explosions or gun battles, 42.5% witnessed people being tortured and 25.6% personally experienced cruelty/torture during war. Prevalence of PTSD was 18.3% and that of anxiety-related disorders were as high as 69.0%. Death of an important person (p =.032) and male gender (p =.040) were associated with PTSD; whilst exposure to cruelty or torture (p =.014) and increasing duration of refuge (p =.042) were significantly associated with development of anxiety disorders. Findings of the present study reveals existence of the expected but unspoken mental health needs among the Syrian children in Turkey.

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KW - Mental health

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KW - Trauma

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Psychopathology and Associated Risk Factors Among Forcibly Displaced Syrian Children and Adolescents

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