{"title":"Trauma, post-migration stress, and mental health among forcibly displaced people in Germany: Does resilience have a protective effect?","authors":"Freyja Grupp, Ricarda Mewes, Andrei-Cristian Tudorache","doi":"10.1177/00207640251358094","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Forcibly displaced people represent a highly resilient population, but research has predominantly focused on risk factors that render them more vulnerable to mental health difficulties, such as traumatic experiences and post-migration stress. While previous studies have reported potential protective factors such as resilience and religiosity, little is known about their actual impact on risk factors.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>This research examines the interplay between potential protective factors (resilience and religiosity), post-migration stress (post-migration living difficulties and perceived discrimination), potentially traumatizing experiences, and mental health among forcibly displaced people from the Middle East.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forcibly displaced people from the Middle East (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran) (<i>N</i> = 149) residing in Germany completed a questionnaire including measures of psychological distress (GHQ-12), symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; PDS) and depression (PHQ-9), perceived discrimination (EDS), post-migration living difficulties (PMLD), resilience (CD-RISC), and religiosity (DUREL).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Symptom-specific regression models revealed that individuals who perceived higher discrimination experienced more psychological distress, while those who experienced stronger post-migration living difficulties showed higher symptoms of depression and PTSD. The number of potentially traumatizing events predicted symptoms of PTSD. Resilience was associated with less psychological distress and lower levels of depression and PTSD, but did not moderate the associations of potentially traumatizing experiences, post-migration living difficulties, and perceived discrimination with the mental health outcomes. There was no association between religiosity and mental health.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Past traumatic experiences and present post-displacement context-related stressors constitute risk factors for poorer mental health among forcibly displaced people, with present context-related stressors appearing to have a more decisive impact on mental health difficulties. Resilience exerted a non-specific protective effect, acting as a general buffer against poor mental health but not against the effects of potentially traumatizing experiences, post-migration living difficulties, and perceived discrimination.</p>","PeriodicalId":14304,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Social Psychiatry","volume":" ","pages":"207640251358094"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Social Psychiatry","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00207640251358094","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Forcibly displaced people represent a highly resilient population, but research has predominantly focused on risk factors that render them more vulnerable to mental health difficulties, such as traumatic experiences and post-migration stress. While previous studies have reported potential protective factors such as resilience and religiosity, little is known about their actual impact on risk factors.
Aims: This research examines the interplay between potential protective factors (resilience and religiosity), post-migration stress (post-migration living difficulties and perceived discrimination), potentially traumatizing experiences, and mental health among forcibly displaced people from the Middle East.
Methods: Forcibly displaced people from the Middle East (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran) (N = 149) residing in Germany completed a questionnaire including measures of psychological distress (GHQ-12), symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; PDS) and depression (PHQ-9), perceived discrimination (EDS), post-migration living difficulties (PMLD), resilience (CD-RISC), and religiosity (DUREL).
Results: Symptom-specific regression models revealed that individuals who perceived higher discrimination experienced more psychological distress, while those who experienced stronger post-migration living difficulties showed higher symptoms of depression and PTSD. The number of potentially traumatizing events predicted symptoms of PTSD. Resilience was associated with less psychological distress and lower levels of depression and PTSD, but did not moderate the associations of potentially traumatizing experiences, post-migration living difficulties, and perceived discrimination with the mental health outcomes. There was no association between religiosity and mental health.
Conclusion: Past traumatic experiences and present post-displacement context-related stressors constitute risk factors for poorer mental health among forcibly displaced people, with present context-related stressors appearing to have a more decisive impact on mental health difficulties. Resilience exerted a non-specific protective effect, acting as a general buffer against poor mental health but not against the effects of potentially traumatizing experiences, post-migration living difficulties, and perceived discrimination.
期刊介绍：
The International Journal of Social Psychiatry, established in 1954, is a leading publication dedicated to the field of social psychiatry. It serves as a platform for the exchange of research findings and discussions on the influence of social, environmental, and cultural factors on mental health and well-being. The journal is particularly relevant to psychiatrists and multidisciplinary professionals globally who are interested in understanding the broader context of psychiatric disorders and their impact on individuals and communities.
Social psychiatry, as a discipline, focuses on the origins and outcomes of mental health issues within a social framework, recognizing the interplay between societal structures and individual mental health. The journal draws connections with related fields such as social anthropology, cultural psychiatry, and sociology, and is influenced by the latest developments in these areas.
The journal also places a special emphasis on fast-track publication for brief communications, ensuring that timely and significant research can be disseminated quickly. Additionally, it strives to reflect its international readership by publishing state-of-the-art reviews from various regions around the world, showcasing the diverse practices and perspectives within the psychiatric disciplines. This approach not only contributes to the scientific understanding of social psychiatry but also supports the global exchange of knowledge and best practices in mental health care.
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号
