Mental health treatment gaps among Muslim refugees

Mental Health of Refugees

Refugees are relatively un-thought of in the United States. Yet, recent conflicts abroad have brought in streams of international refugees, including those from the Muslim world. It is within the context of the life of a Muslim refugee that this study is focused on. By speaking to care workers dealing with Muslim refugees, it is apparent that many suffer from psychological damage caused by their experiences. Yet, most of these conditions go untreated or misdiagnosed. In the process of this research, interviews were conducted with case workers and health and wellness coordinators in several mental health clinics in the area.

Many Muslim refugees entering into the United States carry with them baggage in the form of stressors caused by various experiences involved with such a traumatic experience. This population of Muslim refugees find themselves at risk for psychological complications as a direct result of stressors associated with events prior to migration, during flight experiences, and resettlement issues. Such refugees can therefore stand to greatly benefit from psychological treatment and diagnoses based on the stressors resulting from a refugee experience. Findings from initial observations proved to show that the majority of the public is frighteningly unaware of the numbers of Muslim refugees in Connecticut, many of whom are being untreated for potential complications involved with the experience of being a refugee. In fact, little prior research had been conducted earlier regarding to mental health interventions within the context of traumatized Muslim refugees.