title: Pharmacological treatment of refugees with trauma-related disorders: What do we know today?
abstract: There is a dearth of evidence on the effectiveness of pharmacological treatment for refugees with trauma-related disorders. The present paper provides an overview of available literature on the subject and discusses the transferability of results from studies on other groups of patients with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We conducted a systematic review of published treatment outcome studies on PTSD and depression among refugees. Fifteen studies were identified and reviewed. Most studies focused on the use of antidepressants. Included studies differed widely in method and quality. The majority were observational studies and case studies. Small sample sizes limited the statistical power. Few studies reported effect sizes, confidence intervals, and statistical significance of findings. No specific pharmacological treatment for PTSD among refugees can be recommended on the basis of the available literature. There is a need for well-designed clinical trials, especially with newer antidepressants and antipsychotics. Until such studies are available, clinical practice and design of trials can be guided by results from studies of other groups of PTSD patients, although differences in pharmacogenetics, compliance, and trauma reactions may affect the direct transferability of results from studies on nonrefugee populations.
authors.affiliation: University of Southern Denmark.|Mental Health Centre Ballerup.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sonne
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Centre Ballerup University of Copenhagen.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Centre North Zealand University of Copenhagen.
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bech
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen.
authors.forename: Erik Lykke
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Mortensen
mesh_terms: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003000:Clonidine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011224:Prazosin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012036:Refugees; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D058668:Adrenergic alpha-1 Receptor Antagonists; D058647:Adrenergic alpha-2 Receptor Agonists; D000928:Antidepressive Agents; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003000:Clonidine; D011224:Prazosin
keywords: PTSD; psychopharmacology; refugees; treatment