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03 November 2006

Literature Reviews: Mental Health Aspects of Forced Migration

I am compiling literature reviews for another project I'm working on and I have come across a number that discuss the mental health and psychological issues confronting forced migrants. One of the principal debates reflected in this literature is the validity of the PTSD concept for refugee and other forced migrant populations. Among other things, critics argue that PTSD is a Western concept which is often applied without regard for the cultural perspective of the affected individuals. For an overview of this and other debates within the psychological community, read C. Eyber's FMO Research Guide on Psychosocial Issues (2002).

Ager, A. (1993). Mental Health Issues in Refugee Populations: A Review. Boston, Harvard Medical School, Department of Social Medicine, Project on International Mental and Behavioural Health, 35 p. [text]
- Note: This paper is available in Forced Migration Online's digital library. To retrieve the text, go to "advanced search" and enter the author's name or title keywords into the relevant search field.

Friedman, M. J. and J. M. Jaranson (1994). "The Applicability of the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Concept to Refugees." In Amidst Peril and Pain: The Mental Health and Well-being of the World's Refugees, ed. by A. J. Marsella, T. Bornemann, S. Ekblad and J. Orley. Washington, DC, American Psychological Association: 207-27. [text]

Hollifield, M., T. D. Warner, et al. (2002). "Measuring Trauma and Health Status in Refugees: A Critical Review." JAMA 288(5): 611-21.
- Note: JAMA electronic content is available free of charge six months after publication. Register as a guest at http://jama.ama-assn.org/.

Keyes, E. F. (2000). "Mental Health Status in Refugees: An Integrative Review of Current Research." Issues in Mental Health Nursing 21(4): 397-410. [abstract]

Loughry, M., C. Eyber, et al. (2003). Psychosocial Concepts in Humanitarian Work with Children: A Review of the Concepts and Related Literature. Washington, DC, National Academies Press. [text]

Mills, E. J., S. Singh, et al. (2005). "Prevalence of Mental Disorders and Torture among Tibetan Refugees: A Systematic Review." BMC International Health and Human Rights 5. [text]

Mollica, R. F., B. Lopes Cardozo, et al. (2004). "Mental Health in Complex Emergencies." The Lancet 364(9450): 2058–67.
- Note: Text freely available online from The Lancet; however, registration is required before access is provided.

Murthy, R. S. and R. Lakshminarayana (2006). "Mental Health Consequences of War: A Brief Review of Research Findings." World Psychiatry 5(1): 25–30. [text]

Nicholl, C. and A. Thompson (2004). "The Psychological Treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Adult Refugees: A Review of the Current State of Psychological Therapies." Journal of Mental Health 13(4): 351-62. [text]

Procter, N. G. (2005). "'They First Killed His Heart (Then) He Took His Own Life'. Part 1: A Review of the Context and Literature on Mental Health Issues for Refugees and Asylum Seekers." International Journal of Nursing Practice 11(6): 286-291. [abstract]

Refugee Trauma Task Force (2003). Review of Child and Adolescent Refugee Mental Health. Boston, National Child Traumatic Stress Network, 49 p. [text]

Schweitzer, R., L. Buckley, et al. (2002). "The Psychological Treatment of Refugees and Asylum Seekers: What Does the Literature Tell Us?" Mots Pluriels 21. [text]

Willigen, L. v. (1992). A (Short) Review of Literature on the Health Problems of Refugees. 3rd International Research and Advisory Panel Meeting. Oxford. [text]
- Note: This paper is available in Forced Migration Online's digital library. To retrieve the text, go to "advanced search" and enter the author's name or title keywords into the relevant search field.

For more information and other literature references, visit the "Cultural Understandings" section of Harpweb's Mental Health and Well-Being Resource.

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