title: Self-reported life event patterns and their relation to health among recently resettled Iraqi and Kurdish refugees in Sweden.
abstract: This paper presents the findings of a longitudinal study of life events in refugees belonging to different language groups from Iraq. Eighty-six individuals were included in the study. Data regarding life events and self-reported health measurements were collected after baseline assessment with 3-monthly intervals on three occasions. Posttraumatic stress disorder was diagnosed by means of a structured interview at baseline. The results indicate that the subjects were influenced to a great extent by political events and the situation of significant others in the home country. Further, the number of negative life events in the host country showed a significant association with self-rated deteriorated health. In subjects with posttraumatic stress disorder, the effects of certain life events were more pronounced.
authors.affiliation: Center for Torture and Trauma Survivors (CTD), Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Söndergaard
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ekblad
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Theorell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007493:Iraq / Q000208:ethnology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011057:Politics; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D013548:Sweden