Predicting PTSD and Complex PTSD among Iraqi and Syrian Refugees - PubMed

2 min read Original article ↗

. 2023 Jul;59(5):834-843.

doi: 10.1007/s10597-022-01066-x. Epub 2022 Dec 14.

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Predicting PTSD and Complex PTSD among Iraqi and Syrian Refugees

Bediha Ipekci. Community Ment Health J. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

The present study investigated the cumulative and potential synergistic effect of prolonged adversity from pre-migration to post-migration phases in the prediction of posttraumatic stress [PTSD & Complex PTSD (CPTSD)] among Iraqi and Syrian refugees in the U.S. This study included recent 51 Iraqi and 43 Syrian (n = 94) refugees in Massachusetts. Quantitative data were collected through surveys measuring trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress. Effects were evaluated through a series of hierarchical and multiple regression analyses. Preliminary analyses indicated pre-and post-migration stressors together predict PTSD but not CPTSD. However, only post-migration discrimination predicted CPTSD. Post-migration stress exposure emerged as a significant moderator between pre-migration stress exposure and psychological distress (i.e., PTSD). Findings provided support for the cumulative impact of refugees' exposure to trauma from the pre-to-post-migration process, and shed light on the importance of the post-migration context in the prediction of PTSD.

Keywords: Complex PTSD; PTSD; Pre-to-post-migration stressors; Refugees.

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