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Ethical challenges in the treatment of traumatized refugees

  • Published:
Journal of Traumatic Stress

Abstract

The psychological plight of the large numbers of children and families who have immigrated to new lands has received increased professional attention. Among the multiple challenges confronting therapists who work with refugees, there is a growing need to be sensitive to ethical concerns unique to this population. This article addresses three representative ethical issues encountered in clinical work with traumatized refugees: the problem of informed consent, the resolution of conflicting cultural values, and the survivor's search for the meaning of inhumanity.

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This paper was inspired by an international conference. “How to Interview Refugee Children,” sponsored by the Allmanna Barnhuset on March 5–17, 1990 in Satra Bruk, Sweden, at which the author was a featured speaker. This paper will be presented at the 144th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, New Orleans, May 1991.

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Eth, S. Ethical challenges in the treatment of traumatized refugees. J Trauma Stress 5, 103–110 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00976815

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