AUTHOR=Schick Matthis , Morina Naser , Mistridis Panagiota , Schnyder Ulrich , Bryant Richard A. , Nickerson Angela 

TITLE=Changes in Post-migration Living Difficulties Predict Treatment Outcome in Traumatized Refugees

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychiatry

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00476

DOI=10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00476

ISSN=1664-0640

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> Refugee mental health is affected by traumatic stressors as well as post-migration living difficulties (PMLD). However, their interaction and causal pathways are unclear, and so far, no distinct treatment recommendations regarding exile-related stressors exist.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In a 3-year follow-up study, PMLD and symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS), depression and anxiety were examined in a clinical sample of severely traumatized refugees and asylum seekers (<italic>N</italic> = 71).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> In regression analysis, reduction in PMLD predicted changes over time in depression/anxiety, but not in PTS. The opposite models with PMLD changes as outcome variable proved not significant for PTS, and significant, though less predictive, for depression/anxiety.</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> In addition to well-established trauma-focused interventions for the treatment of PTS, psychosocial interventions focusing on PMLD might contribute to a favorable treatment response in traumatized refugees, particularly with regard to depression and anxiety.</p>