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IJERPH
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Refugee Health and Well-Being: Psychological, Behavioral and Biochemical Insights
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Refugee Health and Well-Being: Psychological, Behavioral and Biochemical Insights

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2025 | Viewed by 6972

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Samina Salim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
Interests: neurobehavioral; real-life domains of health; social and human phenomena; neuro-socioecological

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At present, forcible displacement and unavoidable migration have resulted in nearly 80 million displaced people, 26 million of whom are refugees. This is the highest since the second World War broke out. Conflict, instability and civil war in Sub-Saharan and West African countries, conflict in Syria, war on terror in Afghanistan, the Rwanda and Rohingya genocide and more recently the crisis in Ukraine have resulted in massive displacement of men, women and children from their home countries. The traumatic experiences of war and conflict and ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic complexities, combined with the struggles of resettlement, make refugees highly susceptible to several health risks such as obesity, diabetes, mental health (including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder), tuberculosis, nutritional deficiencies, parasitic infections, chronic hepatitis B infection, cancer, etc. To better understand the health risks and examine the structural health disparities faced by refugees, psychological, behavioral and basic science research is critical in understanding these important aspects. Importantly, refugee health research is critical for various important reasons, (a) in increasing the scientific understanding of complex human diseases, (b) in promoting a greater understanding of racial and ethnic contexts of health and (c) in helping to mitigate structural health disparities faced by refugees in their host environments.

Dr. Samina Salim
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • refugees
  • migration
  • mental stress
  • displacement trauma
  • behavior
  • psychological health
  • cancer
  • population health

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 322 KiB  
Article
Describing the Eye Health of Newly Arrived Refugees in Adelaide, South Australia
by Kate Murton, Antonietta Maldari, Joanne Thomas, Jan Williams, Marcel Nejatian, Hessom Razavi and Lillian Mwanri
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2024, 21(7), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070869 - 2 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1179
Abstract
This study describes the eye health of newly arrived refugees attending a state-funded health service in Adelaide, South Australia, helping to address the paucity of data on the eye health of refugees. Patients attending the Refugee Health Service undergo comprehensive assessment by an [...] Read more.
This study describes the eye health of newly arrived refugees attending a state-funded health service in Adelaide, South Australia, helping to address the paucity of data on the eye health of refugees. Patients attending the Refugee Health Service undergo comprehensive assessment by an on-site optometrist with accredited interpreters if they have eye symptoms, personal or family history of eye disease, or visual impairment (using World Health Organization definitions). A retrospective audit of this service was performed to obtain patient demographics, presenting best-corrected distance visual acuity (better-seeing eye), diagnoses, and management. In 2017–2018, 494 of the 1400 refugees attending the service underwent an optometry assessment (age range 1–86 years, mean age 33.1 ± 18.6 years, 53% female). Regions of origin included the Middle East (25%), Bhutan (24%), Afghanistan (22%), Myanmar (15%), and Africa (14%). Of the 124 cases of visual impairment, 78% resolved with corrective lenses and 11% were due to cataracts. Ophthalmology follow-up was required for 56 (11%) patients, mostly for cataracts (22 patients). Newly arrived refugees have high rates of visual impairment from refractive error and cataracts. Integration of optometry and state-based refugee health services may improve the timely detection and treatment of these conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refugee Health and Well-Being: Psychological, Behavioral and Biochemical Insights)
12 pages, 358 KiB  
Article
Breast Cancer Beliefs and Screening Practices among Syrian Refugee Women and Jordanian Women
by Fatin Atrooz, Sally Mohammad Aljararwah, Chiara Acquati, Omar F. Khabour and Samina Salim
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3645; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043645 - 18 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2240
Abstract
Despite significant declines in breast cancer (BC) incidence in the West, this disease is widespread in Jordan, where cancer detection occurs at much advanced stages. This is particularly concerning for Syrian refugee women resettled in Jordan, who are less likely to undergo cancer [...] Read more.
Despite significant declines in breast cancer (BC) incidence in the West, this disease is widespread in Jordan, where cancer detection occurs at much advanced stages. This is particularly concerning for Syrian refugee women resettled in Jordan, who are less likely to undergo cancer preventative procedures because of poor health literacy and lack of health services access. The present work assesses and compares breast cancer awareness and breast cancer screening behaviors among Syrian refugee women and Jordanian women residing close to the Syrian–Jordanian border city of Ar-Ramtha. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a validated Arabic version of the Breast Cancer Screening Beliefs Questionnaire (BCSBQ). A total of 138 Syrian refugee women and 160 Jordanian women participated in the study. Results indicate that 93.6% of Syrian refugee women and Jordanian women ≥ 40 years of age reported never having undergone a mammogram. Syrian refugee women and Jordanian women reported low attitudes toward general health checkup (mean score for Syrian refugees 45.6 vs. 42.04 among Jordan women; p = 0.150). Barriers for BC screening were higher among Syrian refugees (mean score = 56.43) than Jordanian women (mean score = 61.99, p = 0.006). Women with higher education were more likely to report fewer barriers to screening (p = 0.027). The study documents a significant lack of BC screening awareness among Syrian refugee women and Jordanian women, indicating that future work is needed to alter current attitudes towards mammograms and early detection measures especially for Syrian refugee women and Jordanian women residing in rural areas of Jordan. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refugee Health and Well-Being: Psychological, Behavioral and Biochemical Insights)
14 pages, 664 KiB  
Article
Understanding Mental Health Status of Syrian Refugee and Jordanian Women: Novel Insights from a Comparative Study
by Fatin Atrooz, Sally Mohammad Aljararwah, Tzuan A. Chen, Omar F. Khabour and Samina Salim
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2976; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042976 - 8 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2665
Abstract
(1) Background: War and displacement are well-known predictors of negative mental health outcomes among affected populations. This is especially relevant for refugees of war, particularly women, who often repress their mental health needs due to family responsibilities, social stigma, and/or cultural pressures. In [...] Read more.
(1) Background: War and displacement are well-known predictors of negative mental health outcomes among affected populations. This is especially relevant for refugees of war, particularly women, who often repress their mental health needs due to family responsibilities, social stigma, and/or cultural pressures. In this study, we compared the mental health status of urban Syrian refugee women (n = 139) with local Jordanian women (n = 160). (2) Methods: Psychometrically validated Afghan Symptom Checklist (ASC), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ) examined psychological distress, perceived stress, and mental health, respectively. (3) Results: According to independent t-tests, Syrian refugee women scored higher than Jordanian women on the ASC [mean score (SD): 60.79 (16.67) vs. 53.71 (17.80), p < 0.001], PSS [mean score (SD): 31.59 (8.45) vs. 26.94 (7.37), p < 0.001], and SRQ [mean score (SD): 11.82 (4.30) vs. 10.21 (4.72), p = 0.002]. Interestingly, both Syrian refugee and Jordanian women scored higher than the clinical cutoff in the SRQ. Regression analyses indicated that more educated women were less likely to score high on the SRQ (β = −0.143, p = 0.019), particularly in the anxiety and somatic symptoms subscale (β = −0.133, p = 0.021), and were less likely to exhibit symptoms of ruminative sadness (β = −0.138, p = 0.027). Employed women were more likely to exhibit high coping ability than unemployed women (β = 0.144, p = 0.012). (4) Conclusions: Syrian refugee women scored higher than Jordanian women in all used mental health scales. Access to mental health services and enhancing educational opportunities would help mitigate perceived stress and may enhance stress-coping abilities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Refugee Health and Well-Being: Psychological, Behavioral and Biochemical Insights)
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