A systematic review of Yazidi children and adolescents reveals high rates of mental and psychiatric disorders after the ISIS invasion in 2014

Abstract

Background: Yazidi people are a minority group of Kurds that often live in the Sinjar District in Iraq. The Yazidis have been persecuted for centuries. They have most recently been, targeted by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) when they experienced violence, genocide, enslavement, and forced migration -all of which have had a significant impact on their mental health. Aim: The purpose of this systematic review is to examine mental and psychological health problems among Yazidi children and adolescents following the ISIS invasion of Iraq and Syria in 2014. Methods:The PRISMA protocol was used to conduct a systematic review of the literature. Using related keywords, 182 publications were identified on PubMed and Google Scholar. Finally, 5 full articles were included for data extraction. Inclusion criteria were English papers that studied Yazidi mental and psychiatric disorders in Yazidi children and adolescents, regardless of date or gender. However, research on Yazidi adult mental health and general physical health was excluded. Results:The initial search result found 182 articles; 83 were evaluated for eligibility, with 5 studies meeting full eligibility criteria and being included in the current systematic review. According to the results, Yazidi children and adolescents have suffered from a variety of mental and psychological disorders as a result of the recent traumatic events, which mostly occurred after the ISIS invasion in 2014. The most prevalent are posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, anxiety, and other mental and psychiatric problems. Conclusion: Yazidi children and adolescents experienced serious traumatic events, including war trauma, as well as substantial migration and resettlement-related stress. These exposures increased the risk of developing mental health problems, including depression, PTSD, anxiety, and behavioural and comorbid mental and psychological problems.

From Holocaust to Anfal: The impact of genocide and cross-generational trauma on the mental health of Kurds

“…The physical and psychological trauma of these events is still felt today and many survivors and their families are struggling to cope with their lasting effects (Ekzayez et al, 2020). The Anfal campaign was one extended genocidal attack out of many other attacks against Kurds, including the killing of thousands of Kurdish Failis in the 1970s to 1980s and the genocide of Kurdish Yazidis after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) invasion in 2014 (D. R. Ahmed 2022a, 2022c; D.…”