Care providers’ views on burden of psychosomatic symptoms of IS-traumatized female refugees participating in a Humanitarian Admission Program in Germany: A qualitative analysis

Abstract

Background Traumatized refugees often suffer from diverse psychosomatic symptoms. Female Yazidi refugees from Northern Iraq who survived attacks of the so-called "Islamic State" were brought to Germany to receive special medical and psychotherapeutic treatment in a unique worldwide humanitarian admission program (HAP). Here, we report on their psychosomatic symptoms and helpful strategies from the perspective of care providers. Methods Care providers (N = 84) in this HAP were interviewed in an individual setting as well as in focus groups to gather information about the HAP beneficiaries' psychosomatic symptoms. Data analysis followed Qualitative Content Analysis by Mayring. Results The care providers reported five main psychological burdens of the Yazidis: 1) insecurity regarding loss, 2) worries about family members, 3) ambivalence about staying in Germany or returning to Iraq, 4) life between two worlds and 5) re-actualization of the traumatic experiences. The predominant psychological symptoms the care providers noticed were fear, depressive symptoms, feelings of guilt, and sleep and eating disorders. Regarding somatic symptoms, the care providers mainly received complaints about pain in the head, back, chest and stomach. Helpful strategies for providing adequate health care were care providers' cooperating with physicians, precise documentation of beneficiaries' symptoms, and additional support in directing the beneficiaries through the health care system. Regarding psychotherapy, interpreters help to overcome language barriers, onsite psychotherapy,

Longitudinal Changes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder After Resettlement Among Yazidi Female Refugees Exposed to Violence

“…Mental illnesses, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are prevalent after mass atrocities and displacement. Early studies 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 investigating 1 of the most recently affected populations, displaced Yazidis from northern Iraq after the 2014 genocide, indicate an alarming prevalence of PTSD (42.9%-100%), with women having higher prevalence rates than men. Previous research 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 with genocide survivors (eg, in Rwanda or Bosnia) found that severe mental health effects can last years, even decades, after genocide.…”

Assessment of anxiety and depression in patients with Posner-Schlossman syndrome

“…The psychological effects of ocular diseases are insidious and often underestimated [ 10 ]. On the one hand, patients with combined mental and ocular illness experience social stigma and discrimination that may impact their lives and affect their health-seeking behaviour [ 11 ].…”