Trauma, post-migration living difficulties, and social support as predictors of psychological adjustment in resettled Sudanese refugees.
OBJECTIVE
This paper explores the impact of pre-migration trauma, post-migration living difficulties and social support on the current mental health of 63 resettled Sudanese refugees.


METHODS
A semistructured interview including questionnaires assessing sociodemographic information, pre-migration trauma, anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress, post-migration living difficulties and perceived social support were administered assisted by a bilingual community worker.


RESULTS
Resettled refugees from Sudan evidenced a history of trauma. Less than 5% met criteria for posttraumatic stress but 25% reported clinically high levels of psychological distress. The results indicate that social support--particularly perceived social support from the migrant's ethnic community--play a significant role in predicting mental health outcomes. Pre-migration trauma, family status and gender were also associated with mental health outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
Refugees in Australia may constitute a particularly vulnerable group in terms of mental health outcomes. Culturally specific sequelae in terms of social isolation and acculturation may be particularly problematic for these migrants.
School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. r.schweitzer@qut.edu.au
Robert
R
Schweitzer
Fritha
F
Melville
Zachary
Z
Steel
Philippe
P
Lacherez
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003469:Culture; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013397:Sudan / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires