Feelings of betrayal by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and emotionally distressed Sudanese refugees in Cairo.
Thousands of Sudanese refugees have fled to Cairo, Egypt in the wake of Sudanese civil conflicts. Sudanese refugees were evaluated with respect to symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social stress. Four respondents (22%) indicated that their interactions with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Cairo, Egypt were the worst experiences since war-related atrocities. Fourteen participants (63.6%) felt 'extremely' betrayed by the UNHCR on a four point scale. Greater feelings of betrayal by the UNHCR were associated with greater avoidance and arousal symptoms of PTSD, symptoms of depression and trait anger. This is the first study of which we are aware that examines the relationship between sense of betrayal by the UNHCR and symptoms of PTSD, depression and anger among asylum seekers.
Meffert
Susan M
SM
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA. susan.meffert@ucsf.edu
Musalo
Karen
K
Abdo
Akram Osman
AO
Alla
Omayma Ahmed Abd
OA
Elmakki
Yasir Omer Mustafa
YO
Omer
Afrah Abdelrahim
AA
Yousif
Sahar
S
Metzler
Thomas J
TJ
Marmar
Charles R
CR
D000328:Adult; D026683:Advisory Committees; D000786:Anger; D001143:Arousal; D008192:Deception; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003906:Developing Countries; D004534:Egypt; D005260:Female; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011594:Psychometrics; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D013397:Sudan / Q000208:ethnology; D014480:United Nations; D055815:Young Adult