Health problems, mental disorders and cross-cultural aspects of developing effective rehabilitation procedures for refugees of the war-affected countries: Preliminary results on an Italian sample

Abstract

Though to a lesser extent than other Italian regions, in recent years Apulia, from being exclusively an area through which immigrants passed, has become more and more an area which hosts immigrants. In all five provincial capitals the Albanians and Moroccans are without doubt the most numerous communities. Each province is, however, characterized by the tendency of immigrant communities to settle almost exclusively there. The aim of this study is to consider the consequences of the migration, evaluating the effects such as psychological vulnerability resulting from the distance from one's normal context, and which is all a consequence of an attempt to adapt to a new and difficult reality. The research is part of a European project, and particular attention is dedicated to the “refugee” adolescents (whose migration occurred after traumatic socio-political and economic events in their country of origin), for understanding the psychological risks and the protective factors linked to the socio-cultural integration and contributing to the implementation of programmes that favour the psycho-physical recovery of these adolescents from South-East Europe. Migratory stress may, in fact, easily cause the explosion of latent conflicts or lead to physical or psychological disturbances (manias, depression, paranoia), or even to deviant or criminal behaviour.