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Stress and Health of Internally Displaced Female Yezidis in Northern Iraq

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Abstract

Burden and vulnerability factors after the genocide by ISIS accumulate to a high risk of health for displaced Yezidi women having survived or escaped the “ISIS” persecutions and massacres 2014. In May 2017, standardized interviews, including tests for the acquisition of healthrelated quality of life (SF12), stress (PSS10) and experienced trauma were performed with 29 and a medical anamnesis with 10 displaced female Yezidi in camps for internally displaced people (IDP) and unofficial settlements in Northern Iraq. 58, 62% stated their general health as “poor”, 17.24% each as “fair” or “good” and 3.45% each as “very good” or “excellent”. In the assessment of health-related quality of life, physical as well as mental health showed significantly reduced values, while simultaneously a high level of stress was recorded. 79.3% reported about having experienced at least one traumatic event. Chronic stress due to living conditions and traumatization is most likely responsible for the recorded poor health.

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Dr. C. Rammelt for the organization of the research journey and the NGO CAPNI for its close support. I also wish to thank the staff members of the Project “Gesyres” for helping me with preparing and evaluating the survey. For the many helpful comments and for the support issuing the manuscript I would like to cordially thank my mentors Prof. N. Ott and Prof. G. Juckel as well as my colleagues K. Claassen and Dr. J. M. Garbuszus.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section for Social Policy and Social Economy, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Pia Jäger

  2. LWL-University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Pia Jäger

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  1. Pia Jäger
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Correspondence to Pia Jäger.

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Jäger, P. Stress and Health of Internally Displaced Female Yezidis in Northern Iraq. J Immigrant Minority Health 21, 257–263 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0754-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0754-1

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