Recent Iraqi Refugees: Association Between Ethnic Identification and Psychological Distress

Psychological distress may differ by ethnic affiliation among recent Iraqi refugees due to a combination of risk and resiliency factors. To explore this hypothesis, data were collected from a study conducted over the course of a year (June 2016 to May 2017) of Iraqi refugees screened within one month of arrival to the United 2 C. Arfken, M. Alsaud, E. Mischel, L. Haddad, S. Sonderman, J. Lister, A. Javanbakht States; the screening used the PTSD Checklist Civilian for trauma symptoms and the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist for anxiety and depression, and these markers were analyzed. Of the 52 Iraqi refugees (59.6% women, mean age=38.4), 18 identified as Chaldean or Christian and 34 as Arab, presumably Muslim. Mean scores on trauma, anxiety, and depression symptoms were significantly elevated with moderate effect sizes (d=0.51 for trauma and d=0.63 for depression) and large effect size (d=0.80 for anxiety) in Arab compared to Chaldean refugees. All measures of psychological distress and a oneitem selfrating of the impact of war and migration were correlated. These findings suggest that among recently resettled Iraqi refugees in the U.S., Arabs had higher psychological distress than Chaldeans. To maximize resettlement success, we need to examine ways to reduce their distress.