title: Causes of and risk factors for posttraumatic stress disorder: the beliefs of Iraqi and Afghan refugees resettled in Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Resettled refugees are a vulnerable group for mental health problems and in particular, trauma-related disorders. Evidence suggests that poor 'mental health literacy' (MHL) is a major factor in low or inappropriate treatment-seeking among individuals with mental health problems. This study sought to determine the beliefs regarding the causes of and risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) amongst two resettled refugee groups in Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Utilising a culturally adapted MHL survey method, 225 Iraqis and 150 Afghans of refugee background were surveyed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 52% of the Iraqi participants selected 'experiencing a traumatic event' as the 'most likely' cause for the clinical vignette, whereas 31.3% of the Afghan sample selected 'coming from a war torn country' as their top cause. While both groups identified being 'born in war torn country' as the most likely risk, at 34.4 and 48% of the Iraqis and Afghans respectively, differences regarding other risk factors selected were noted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study indicate the need for culturally sensitive health promotion and early intervention programs seeking to improve MHL relating to PTSD in resettled refugee populations. There is also a need for mental health services to recognise that variation in MHL may be a function of both the cultural origin of a refugee population and their resettlement experiences. Such recognition is needed in order to bridge the gap between Western, biomedical models for mental health care and the knowledge and beliefs of resettled refugee populations.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health, Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine,, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW Australia ; Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Shameran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Slewa-Younan
authors.affiliation: Mental Health, Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine,, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW Australia.
authors.forename: Maria Gabriela Uribe
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Guajardo
authors.affiliation: Mental Health, Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine,, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, NSW Australia.
authors.forename: Anisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yaser
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Research, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia ; Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mond
authors.affiliation: New South Wales Refugee Health Service, Liverpool, Australia.
authors.forename: Mitchell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milosevic
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Complementary Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Sanja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lujic
authors.affiliation: Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony Francis
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Jorm
keywords: Causes; Mental health literacy; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Refugees; Risks