Compassionate listening - managing psychological trauma in refugees.
BACKGROUND
The physical and psychosocial effects of trauma in refugees are wide ranging and long lasting. They can affect symptom presentation, the patient-doctor relationship and management of refugee victims of trauma.


OBJECTIVE
This article discusses how refugees survivors of trauma may present to the general practitioner and gives an approach to psychological assessment and management.


CONCLUSIONS
A strong therapeutic relationship built by patient led, sensitive assessment over time is the foundation to care. A management framework based on trauma recovery stages and adapted for general practice, is presented.
Gardiner
Joanne
J
Foundation House Refugee Mental Health Clinic and Doutta Galla Community Health Centre Medical Service, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. joanneg@labyrinth.net.au
Walker
Kate
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D004645:Empathy; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D035862:Vulnerable Populations; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult