title: Post-traumatic stress disorder among asylum seekers and refugees in Istanbul may be predicted by torture and loss due to violence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Turkey is both a source and target for asylum seekers seeking refugee status in countries of European Union. There is a scarcity of research on the mental health issues of asylum seekers and refugees residing in Turkey.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed: 1) to provide clinical and demographic information on asylum seekers and refugees receiving mental health services from a non-governmental refugee support program in Istanbul between 2005 and 2007, and 2) to evaluate the differences between patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with those who did not meet criteria.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at the Mental Health Division of the Refugee Advocacy Support Group. Between July 2005 and February 2007, 1209 asylum seekers applied to the support group; 75 of these individuals (6.2%) were referred for psychiatric evaluation while 57 were diagnosed as having a psychopathology. The number of analyzed subjects was 57.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PTSD and major depressive disorder were the most common diagnoses (55.2% for both). The most common criteria of PTSD reported were problems in concentration and social isolation (97.3% for both). Suffering torture and losing a significant other due to violence were found to be associated with a diagnosis of PTSD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first of its kind to be conducted on a mixed refugee population residing in Turkey and focusing on their mental health problems. Our results should be tested within larger samples of refugees residing in different cities of Turkey.
authors.affiliation: Abant Izzet Baysal University Medical Faculty, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bolu, Turkey. tevrenus@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ali Evren
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Tufan
authors.forename: Melis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alkin
authors.forename: Sukriye
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bosgelmez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D012934:Social Isolation; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D014104:Torture / Q000523:psychology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology*