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Mental Health Status and Service Assessment for Adult Syrian Refugees Resettled in Metropolitan Atlanta: A Cross-Sectional Survey

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Abstract

Because little is known about the mental health status of Syrian refugees in the United States, we conducted a survey among a convenience sample of those resettled in Atlanta between March 2011 and 2017. Though home visits, we delivered a questionnaire including standardized instruments (HSCL25 and PTSD-8) to assess symptoms of anxiety, depression and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. We found high rates of anxiety (60%), depression (44%) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (84%) symptoms; however, only 20% of participants had seen a mental health professional. Reported reasons for not seeking professional help were lack of transportation and access to information. Findings of this survey indicate the high burden of mental health symptoms and the need for services to the study population. A longitudinal study with a larger sample size would improve the understanding of mental health needs and resilience factors of Syrian refugees resettled in the US.

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Acknowledgements

We express our sincere appreciation to the Syrian refugee community for their hospitality and trust. We are grateful to Mary Helen O’Connor for her review of the manuscript prior to submission.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Humanitarian Emergencies, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Skander M’zah & Dabney P. Evans

  2. Emergency Response and Recovery Branch, Division of Global Health Protection, Center for Global Health, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Barbara Lopes Cardozo

  3. Tunis, Tunisia

    Skander M’zah

Authors
  1. Skander M’zah
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  2. Barbara Lopes Cardozo
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  3. Dabney P. Evans
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Correspondence to Skander M’zah.

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The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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M’zah, S., Lopes Cardozo, B. & Evans, D.P. Mental Health Status and Service Assessment for Adult Syrian Refugees Resettled in Metropolitan Atlanta: A Cross-Sectional Survey. J Immigrant Minority Health 21, 1019–1025 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0806-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-018-0806-6

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