Women and mental health in Displaced or Refugee settings: The Case of the Sudanese Women
Introduction
Globally, women make up the majority of all the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees despite their lack of involvement in policy and program designs targeting them(Amo et al., 2011). According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the internally displaced persons (IDPs) are defined as people who have left their homes for reasons ranging from natural disasters, wars, conflicts and have not crossed the borders of their own country(Venzke, 2012). Refugees are the people who have crossed their borders to settle in another country(Salah et al., 2013). Most of the IDPs and refugees originate from resource constraint
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Displacements have led to isolation of women from their families and friends, thereby increasing the potential to develop anxiety and depression. Furthermore, women have lost income generating activities to support their families as a result of being displaced or a refugee (Cairney et al., 2014).
In South Sudan, displaced women have reported incidences of violence such as sexual assault, rape and physical abuse by intimate partners (Kamau et al., 2004). It is reported that 16 women are raped in a day within the camps in South Sudan (Lancet, 2004, RCM, 2004).
The displaced women have seen their husbands and relatives being killed, their properties being grabbed by the assaulters and high levels of unemployment(Salah et al., 2013). The situation is worse for the disabled women, the elderly, chronically ill women and the widows, as they cannot manage to care for their families (Musa and Hamid,
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As a result, they are targeted by rebel groups and become victims of rape, aggression, sexual and physical violence (Kamau et al., 2004). They are exposed to torture and emotional trauma leading to mental disorders unlike men.
Emotional and physical losses have been associated with displaced women’ vulnerability to mental disorders. Studies have reported of women losing husbands as a result of arrests and wars, income and property loss and higher levels of unemployment leading to depression(Salah et al., 2013).
Women are care takers in the families. Married women take up the burden of providing social responsibility to the children and family, resulting in forgetting their own needs. Consequently, the prevalence of general distress and depression is reportedly higher among married women in displaced communities in South Sudan than in men (Musa and Hamid, 2010). On the other hand, men spend most of their time fighting and engaging in risky health behaviours at the expense of the welfare of their families in the camps(Kirby,
Rothe, Eugenio M. "A Psychotherapy Model For Treating Refugee Children Caught In The Midst Of Catastrophic Situations." Journal Of The American Academy Of Psychoanalysis & Dynamic Psychiatry 36.4 (2008): 625-642. Academic Search Premier. Web. 2 May 2014.
Living without loved ones and their precious belongings will make refugees face the point of turning “inside out”. All refugees have lost loved ones and their precious belongings. For many refugees they lose their parent’s or siblings. Some don’t have family there anymore so they lose their belongings that remind them of their home, family, and country.
Migration has been found to have negative effects on mental health because of circumstances surrounding the move, circumstances of the actual passage, trouble adapting to the new culture, breaks in the migrant’s support system of friends and family, and disappointed expectations of social and economic acquisition.
They have been found to have detrimental psychological effects, as they leave refugees in a state of limbo, fearing their imminent forced return, where they are unable to integrate into society. This emotional distress is often compounded by the fact that refugees on TPVs in Australia are not able to apply for family reunification nor are they able to leave the country. Family reunification is a well-established right in Sweden, as well as most western countries. Moreover, it is a human right protected under the ICCPR whereby refugees have the right to family (Article 23) and the right to freedom from arbitrary interference with family life (Article 17). As a result of living in a state of uncertainty and heartache caused by family separation, refugees on TPVs face a “700 percent increased risk of developing depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in comparison with PPV (permanent protection visa) refugees (Mansouri et al. 2009, pp. 145). Denial of family reunification under TPVs is likely to cause more asylum seekers to engage in illegal means to arrive in
The life of a refugee is not just a life of trials and ordeals, but also has rewards for those who pushed through the pain.
There should therefore be emphasis placed on assessing the mental health of these kids because of the adverse experiences in their home countries and the distress experienced in an alien country or culture in which they find themselves. Weaver and Burns (2001) thus argue that social workers need a greater understanding of the impact of trauma to be effective with asylum seekers in general and UASC. However, many people who are exposed to traumatic experiences do not necessarily develop mental issues so social workers should be cautious about making assumptions as studies shows that most asylum seekers point to social and economic factors as important rather than psychological
These issues also include poverty and limited or no access to education, training, mental health and health care resources. Refugees also face persecution and are unable to return to their home in their native country (Villalba, 2009). Mental health counselors need to understand the impact of trauma on their refugee clientele, as they may include physical torture and mental abuse in nature. According to Sue and Sue (2013) counselors will need to address the most salient concerns of refugees, which include safety and loss. The possibility of being, or having been, mentally abused and physically tortured has an impact on their ability to stay in the hosting country. Counselors will be dealing with post-traumatic stress from their client. Equally important is for the counselor to assist the refugee in understanding issues of confidentiality. For Muslim immigrants and refugees, counselors should consider national policies during the counseling process. For example, the two Sudanese sisters’ were able to resolve their religious practice of wearing the hijab and securing employment in a beneficial way. As an advocate for the sisters and other Muslim refugees, it would be helpful to provide them access to resources that educate them in antidiscrimination policies that can protect them against hate crimes and legal resources that can help them seek asylum. In essence, culturally competent practices for counselors working with immigrants and refugees begin with understanding their worldviews, as well the national and international legal issues that confront their
The social problem we have chosen to address is the mental health status of refugees. Refugees are exposed to a significant amount of trauma due to fear, war, persecution, torture, and relocating. The mental health illnesses that can affect refugees due to exposure to traumas include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Research indicated that refugees relocating from war-torn countries are particularly vulnerable to mental health concerns because many have experienced early traumas and face further post-traumas after relocation (Cummings, et al., 2011). However, despite the prevalence of mental health issues concerning refugees, mental health needs often go unrecognized and untreated.
“Women are two times more likely to develop depressive symptoms then men”(Psychosocial and Behavioral Factors in Women’s Health, 1990), and women who are among the child-bearing years tend to be more at risk. However this is not to say that men are not affected by depression. It is usually, because of negative social influences, such as economic instability, and/or the inability to handle stress in their lives.
All around the world, people are being forced to leave their homes due to war, persecution, and unequal treatment; these people are called refugees. When they flee, refugees leave behind their homes, family, friends, and personal possessions. They make risky escapes and their lives could be easily taken from them. Refugees often become distant and depressed as they experience these traumatic events. In the novel Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai, ten year-old Hà and her family live in South Vietnam: a war torn country. Hà was like any ten year-old; she liked to stay close to her mother and got jealous when things didn’t go her way. She loves her home and wanted to stay, even when the war between the North and South got closer to home.
Women in Iraq are capable of being physically or emotionally hurt by Iraqi males, like a brother, father, cousin, or husband. Women are also vulnerable to hurt by members of Islamist armed groups, militias, Iraqi government forces, foreign soldiers, and staff of foreign private military security. Women have paid the highest price due to violent religious extremism acts. Violence has made many Iraqi women more isolated, and many have lost husbands, brothers, fathers, and sons. The kidnapping, rape, and murder rates of women in Iraq is on rising everyday. Women have been victims of more abuses now than they have in the past 60 years.
Basha, Amal. Freedom House, Women's Rights in the Middle East and North Africa - Yemen, 14 October 2005. http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/ docid/47387b712f.html (accessed August 14, 2010)
A refugee is defined as an individual who has been forced to leave their country due to political or religious reasons, or due to threat of war or violence. There were 19.5 million refugees worldwide at the end of 2014, 14.4 million under the mandate of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), around 2.9 million more than in 2013. The other 5.1 million Palestinian refugees are registered with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA). With the displacement of so many people, it is difficult to find countries willing to accept all the refugees. There are over 125 different countries that currently host refugees, and with this commitment comes the responsibility of ensuring these refugees have access to the basic requirements of life; a place to live, food to eat, and a form of employment or access to education. Currently, the largest cause of refugees is the Syrian civil war, which has displaced over 2.1 million people. As a country of relative wealth, the United States should be able to provide refuge for many refugees, as well as provide monetary support to the refugees that they are not able to receive.
One other part of the world that is ridiculously dangerous to be a female is the country of Pakistan. A 2011 poll from Thomson Reuters Foundation Poll found that Pakistan is the third most dangerous country in the world to be a woman. There are over 1,000 documented honor killings involved with women and children. And there is a shocking 90% of women and female children that undergo domestic violence. Many reasons why women do not try to put an end to the violence in their lives if because there’s not much that they can do in a male dominated society. Many, if not most women, fear their husbands, are afraid of attracting unwanted attention to themselves, do not want to hurt their family’s reputation or “honor”, or they really just don 't know that help is available to them. According to TheAtlantic.com, only 36% of women in Pakistan are literate. Most of these helpless women are far too uneducated and held down by their male counterparts to know their
Women account for more than half the world’s population, perpetuating the notion that gender equality is the center of human rights. In 1945 under influence of the United Nations Charter, world leaders adopted the fundamental principle of equal rights of men and women. It is the State’s obligation to protect and promote women 's human rights. Yet millions of women around the world are consistently exposed to unjust inequality and discrimination. While there are still laws and policies that prohibit women from equal access to land, property, and housing; economic and social discrimination will continue to result in fewer and poorer life opportunities for women, rendering them vulnerable to trafficking. The effects of gender-based violence