Living in exile when disaster strikes at home.
As the number of migrants,- forced or voluntary,- increases, there is a growing need to understand how negative events in the country of origin influence those residing abroad. This issue has been actualized by the recent earthquakes in Haiti and Chile. Persons in exile have frequently been exposed to severe human rights violations and other stressors prior to emigration. The present study explored possible associations between ongoing and former stressors and mental health problems among persons living in exile as the Tsunami disaster of 2004 struck their country of origin. The contribution of former exposure and exilerelated difficulties in explaining current mental health problems was explored together with Tsunami related bereavement and social support. Following the Tsunami disaster of 2004 a questionnaire was administered to individuals of Tamil and Acehnese origin residing in Norway. The results suggest an independent contribution of exilerelated difficulties, former exposure and social support in explaining current mental health problems in this group. The study also disclosed methodological challenges involved both in relation to recruiting participants and in isolating the contribution of a particular stressor in populations with high levels of former exposure as well as ongoing stress.
Norwegian Center on Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Norway. signestige@hotmail.com
Signe Hjelen
SH
Stige
Nora
N
Sveaass
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D001601:Bereavement; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004190:Disasters; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007214:Indonesia / Q000208:ethnology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012036:Refugees / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000208:ethnology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D057192:Tsunamis