{"id":876,"date":"2019-07-15T14:33:47","date_gmt":"2019-07-15T14:33:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=876"},"modified":"2019-07-15T14:33:47","modified_gmt":"2019-07-15T14:33:47","slug":"healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n

They are fleeing war, famine and persecution, risking treacherous journeys across deserts and seas in search of safety. But helping refugees and asylum seekers to cope with the psychological scars caused by their experiences could help them adjust to life in their new homes.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n

The world is in the midst of a refugee crisis. The latest figures from the\u00a0United Nations Refugee Agency<\/a>\u00a0show that there are\u00a070.8 million people globally\u00a0<\/a>who have been forcibly displaced from their homes,\u00a0including nearly 26 million refugees<\/a>, the highest number on record.<\/p>\n

It estimates that 2018 alone saw an additional\u00a02.8 million new refugees and asylum seekers<\/a>\u00a0risk their lives to find sanctuary in other countries. About\u00a0580,800 first-time asylum seekers<\/a>\u00a0applied for international protection in the EU last year while countries like Germany, Greece and Italy continue to host large numbers of refugees.<\/p>\n

But even for those lucky enough to make it to relative safety, their ordeals can take a heavy toll.<\/p>\n

\u2018Epidemiologic studies have suggested that around one-third of asylum seekers and refugees show some sort of clinically relevant psychological distress,\u2019 said Professor Corrado Barbui, a psychiatrist at the University of Verona, Italy. He says they are particularly vulnerable because they are exposed to stressors before, during and also after their migration.<\/p>\n

\u2018Post-traumatic stress disorder is up to 10 times higher among refugees and asylum seekers than in the general population,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Prof. Barbui is coordinating a project that is now trying to help reduce the high levels of psychological distress found in these vulnerable populations. The\u00a0RE-DEFINE project\u00a0<\/a>is using an innovative stress management intervention based on cognitive behavioural therapy, an effective form of counselling that helps people manage their problems by changing the way they think and behave.<\/p>\n

\u2018It is a low-intensity, psychosocial intervention with the aim of preventing the development of mental health conditions,\u2019 said Prof. Barbui. \u2018It is a self-help intervention, so there are no doctors, no psychologists and no professionals delivering it.\u2019<\/p>\n

Self help<\/strong><\/p>\n

The intervention, called\u00a0Self Help Plus<\/a>, has been\u00a0developed by the World Health Organization<\/a>(WHO) and studied in low-income settings with promising results, according to Prof. Barbui. \u2018But the issue of refugees and asylum seekers has become a real challenge in high-income countries as well, so we wanted to see if it could be beneficial there too,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

RE-DEFINE is\u00a0running trials<\/a>\u00a0in five high-income countries around Europe \u2013 Finland, Austria, Germany, Italy, the UK – plus Turkey. In total, 1,200 people are taking part in the trials \u2013 600 in Turkey, which is one of the main recipients of refugees from Syria, and 600 across the other sites.<\/p>\n

Those taking part attend group sessions with 10-15 participants. They are guided by a pre-recorded audio course and written material, both in their native language, that encourages them to talk about problems they are having and helps them identify ways of solving them.<\/p>\n

Each group completes five two-hour sessions over a five-week period and is overseen by a facilitator, who is another refugee or former asylum seeker trained to supervise the discussions.<\/p>\n

Prof. Barbui says an important aspect of the approach has been to avoid medicalising it as the stigma involved could put off many participants from attending.<\/p>\n

\u2018We do some preliminary screening to identify people who may have mental health conditions, but our intervention is more for prevention, so we don\u2019t want to medicalise those with psychological suffering,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

The project has been working with non-governmental organisations such as the Red Cross and WHO to identify participants for the trial. So far, the trials have been run for Syrian, Afghan and Pakistani refugees and asylum seekers, with versions of Self Help Plus in Arabic, Dari and Urdu. There is also a version in Pidgin English for participants in Nigeria.<\/p>\n

Global level<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although the team is still assessing the success of the trials, Prof. Barbui says the project has been well received and hopes that the number of languages can be expanded in the future. The team also hopes there will be an online version for participants to access on their mobile phones.<\/p>\n

\u2018We would like to see this intervention become effective for refugees and asylum seekers on a global level,\u2019 said Prof. Barbui.<\/p>\n

Scaling up this sort of help for the millions of refugees and asylum seekers around the world is a particular challenge. Often there are just not enough mental healthcare professionals available to help.<\/p>\n

The WHO has developed another mental health intervention it calls\u00a0Problem Management Plus (PM+)<\/a>\u00a0that has already been tested and implemented in parts of\u00a0Pakistan and Kenya to help people who have been affected by violence<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But with nearly 6.7 million refugees who have fled from the conflict in Syria alone, there is a desperate need to translate and adapt such resources for other communities. The\u00a0STRENGTHS<\/a>\u00a0project is\u00a0attempting to do this in eight different countries<\/a>\u00a0that have seen the largest influx of Syrian refugees \u2013 Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Sweden.<\/p>\n

\u2018The levels of exposure to traumatic events is very high among Syrian refugees,\u2019 said Dr Marit Sijbrandij, a clinical psychologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands who coordinates the project.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u2018Post-traumatic stress disorder is up to 10 times higher among refugees and asylum seekers than in the general population.\u2019<\/p>\n

– Professor Corrado Barbui, University of Verona, Italy<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u2018Often, in fleeing, a lot of things happen as it is very risky. They are travelling long distances by foot or making dangerous crossings over the sea. There are incidents of sexual abuse. And when they come into a new country or are living in refugee camps they are exposed to a lot of daily living difficulties that puts them at a higher risk for having mental health problems.\u2019<\/p>\n

Face-to-face<\/strong><\/p>\n

Much like Self Help Plus, PM+ is based on cognitive behavioural therapy, but uses slightly higher intensity one-on-one sessions to help people who are already experiencing mental health symptoms. This sort of approach can be difficult to roll out with large numbers of people, especially in countries where health professionals may need an interpreter to speak to those they are trying to help.<\/p>\n

STRENGTHS is instead training other Syrian refugees, who are non-professional helpers, to provide the service.<\/p>\n

\u2018For example, in the Netherlands we train Syrian refugees with a background in delivered psychosocial support already, or who have been a teacher in Syria or who have very strong empathetic skills,\u2019 said Dr Sijbrandij.<\/p>\n

The approach does not focus on individual disorders, instead trying to tackle general symptoms of distress such as sleeping problems, anxiety and depression.<\/p>\n

Over five sessions, participants are encouraged to find ways to change their own behaviour to improve their situation. \u2018Getting people active again is one of the key components in tackling depression,\u2019 said Dr Sijbrandij.<\/p>\n

The programme also encourages them to build up social networks who they can seek help from in day-to-day life and gives them relaxation exercises to practise.<\/p>\n

The project is planning to create a specially adapted version of PM+ for children and is in the process of developing a smartphone version of the intervention alongside the WHO.<\/p>\n

\u2018We know that some people will just never access this kind of face-to-face psychosocial support, but they may prefer to do it through their smartphone,\u2019 said Dr Sijbrandij. \u2018Many Syrian refugees have smartphones and they are a lifeline of sorts for them already.\u2019<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js<\/a><\/p>\n

The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

They are fleeing war, famine and persecution, risking treacherous journeys across deserts and seas in search of safety. But helping refugees and asylum seekers to cope with the psychological scars caused by their experiences could help them adjust to life in their new homes. The world is in the midst of a refugee crisis. The … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":322,"featured_media":877,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[185,288,282],"class_list":["post-876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-mental-health","tag-migration","tag-refugees"],"yoast_head":"\nHealing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"They are fleeing war, famine and persecution, risking treacherous journeys across deserts and seas in search of safety. But helping refugees and asylum seekers to cope with the psychological scars caused by their experiences could help them adjust to life in their new homes. The world is in the midst of a refugee crisis. The ... Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Horizon Magazine Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-07-15T14:33:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1336\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Richard Gray\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Richard Gray\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Richard Gray\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/042c9393ea152c13c0b8b9ba82055602\"},\"headline\":\"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-07-15T14:33:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1258,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"mental health\",\"migration\",\"refugees\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Health\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2019\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/\",\"name\":\"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives - Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-07-15T14:33:47+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2019\\\/07\\\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1336,\"caption\":\"One-third of asylum seekers and refugees show clinically relevant psychological distress, according to scientists. Image credit - Mstyslav Chernov\\\/Unframe\\\/ Wikipedia licensed under CC BY SA 4.0\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/876\\\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"description\":\"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/4\\\/2026\\\/04\\\/eu-logo.jpg\",\"width\":601,\"height\":283,\"caption\":\"Horizon Magazine Blog\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/042c9393ea152c13c0b8b9ba82055602\",\"name\":\"Richard Gray\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0fb7fc92c5bb1fcd60351c743b49fd95f24fb8e4a238bab4922f42709dcbd847?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0fb7fc92c5bb1fcd60351c743b49fd95f24fb8e4a238bab4922f42709dcbd847?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/0fb7fc92c5bb1fcd60351c743b49fd95f24fb8e4a238bab4922f42709dcbd847?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Richard Gray\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/scienceblog.com\\\/horizon\\\/author\\\/richardgray\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives - Horizon Magazine Blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives","og_description":"They are fleeing war, famine and persecution, risking treacherous journeys across deserts and seas in search of safety. But helping refugees and asylum seekers to cope with the psychological scars caused by their experiences could help them adjust to life in their new homes. The world is in the midst of a refugee crisis. The ... Read more","og_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/","og_site_name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","article_published_time":"2019-07-15T14:33:47+00:00","og_image":[{"width":2000,"height":1336,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Richard Gray","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Richard Gray","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/"},"author":{"name":"Richard Gray","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/042c9393ea152c13c0b8b9ba82055602"},"headline":"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives","datePublished":"2019-07-15T14:33:47+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/"},"wordCount":1258,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg","keywords":["mental health","migration","refugees"],"articleSection":["Health"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2019","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/","name":"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives - Horizon Magazine Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg","datePublished":"2019-07-15T14:33:47+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg","width":2000,"height":1336,"caption":"One-third of asylum seekers and refugees show clinically relevant psychological distress, according to scientists. Image credit - Mstyslav Chernov\/Unframe\/ Wikipedia licensed under CC BY SA 4.0"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/876\/healing-refugees-mental-scars-could-help-them-build-new-lives\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Healing refugees\u2019 mental scars could help them build new lives"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#website","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","description":"The EU Research & Innovation Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#organization","name":"Horizon Magazine Blog","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2026\/04\/eu-logo.jpg","width":601,"height":283,"caption":"Horizon Magazine Blog"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/#\/schema\/person\/042c9393ea152c13c0b8b9ba82055602","name":"Richard Gray","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0fb7fc92c5bb1fcd60351c743b49fd95f24fb8e4a238bab4922f42709dcbd847?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0fb7fc92c5bb1fcd60351c743b49fd95f24fb8e4a238bab4922f42709dcbd847?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/0fb7fc92c5bb1fcd60351c743b49fd95f24fb8e4a238bab4922f42709dcbd847?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Richard Gray"},"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/author\/richardgray\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header_refugees_boat_mediterranean.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgtNKV-e8","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":870,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/870\/schools-and-media-literacy-critical-for-teen-refugees-social-wellbeing\/","url_meta":{"origin":876,"position":0},"title":"Schools and media literacy critical for teen refugees\u2019 social wellbeing","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"July 8, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Gareth Willmer For a teenage refugee starting a new life in Europe, going to school and using digital media form a big part of navigating an unfamiliar society. But appropriate interventions at school and online could help them feel more at home in a new country. A\u00a0quarter of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Brain & Behavior"","block_context":{"text":"Brain & Behavior","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/brain-behavior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A quarter of the refugees who entered Europe in 2018 were children, and 40% of these were unaccompanied by adults. Image credit - Kylo\/ Unsplash","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/header-kylo-unsplash.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":859,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/859\/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-science-of-refugee-integration\/","url_meta":{"origin":876,"position":1},"title":"Five things you need to know about: the science of refugee integration","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"July 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In the last few years, the integration of refugees into European societies has become an urgent issue. \u00a0Since 2015, nearly 4 million people\u00a0have applied for asylum in the EU and many are now beginning to make new lives here. What does it mean to become integrated into a new society?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Social Sciences"","block_context":{"text":"Social Sciences","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/social-sciences\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dr Hangartner says that without at least a working definition of integration, we cannot measure it. Image credit - Mstyslav Chernov, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/A_line_of_Syrian_refugees_crossing_the_border_of_Hungary_and_Austria_on_their_way_to_Germany._Hungary_Central_Europe_6_September_2015.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/A_line_of_Syrian_refugees_crossing_the_border_of_Hungary_and_Austria_on_their_way_to_Germany._Hungary_Central_Europe_6_September_2015.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/A_line_of_Syrian_refugees_crossing_the_border_of_Hungary_and_Austria_on_their_way_to_Germany._Hungary_Central_Europe_6_September_2015.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/A_line_of_Syrian_refugees_crossing_the_border_of_Hungary_and_Austria_on_their_way_to_Germany._Hungary_Central_Europe_6_September_2015.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/A_line_of_Syrian_refugees_crossing_the_border_of_Hungary_and_Austria_on_their_way_to_Germany._Hungary_Central_Europe_6_September_2015.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/A_line_of_Syrian_refugees_crossing_the_border_of_Hungary_and_Austria_on_their_way_to_Germany._Hungary_Central_Europe_6_September_2015.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":888,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/888\/academia-is-tough-now-imagine-trying-to-enter-it-as-a-refugee\/","url_meta":{"origin":876,"position":2},"title":"Academia is tough – now imagine trying to enter it as a refugee","author":"Richard Gray","date":"July 22, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Just months after Dr Ahmad Al Ajlan begun a new job as a university lecturer in the Syrian city of Deir ez-Zor, he was forced to flee his country for Europe. When he arrived in Germany in March 2015, after several months of travelling, he was placed in a number\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Life & Non-Humans"","block_context":{"text":"Life & Non-Humans","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/life-non-humans\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/Universitat_de_Barcelona_tower.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/Universitat_de_Barcelona_tower.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/Universitat_de_Barcelona_tower.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/Universitat_de_Barcelona_tower.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/Universitat_de_Barcelona_tower.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/07\/Universitat_de_Barcelona_tower.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2613,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2613\/helping-refugees-in-europe-with-the-odyssey-and-don-quixote\/","url_meta":{"origin":876,"position":3},"title":"Helping refugees in Europe with The Odyssey and Don Quixote","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"December 19, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Literary masterpieces and other educational activities feature in EU-funded efforts to help displaced young people feel at home across the continent. By \u00a0Sof\u00eda Manzanaro Bilal Almobarak knows a good deal about stress and threats to wellbeing faced by refugees. Almobarak fled the Syrian civil war in 2015 and ended up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/19.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/19.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/19.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/19.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/19.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2023\/12\/19.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2788,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/2788\/mediterranean-migration-and-its-lessons-for-europe\/","url_meta":{"origin":876,"position":4},"title":"Mediterranean migration and its lessons for Europe","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"June 21, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Historical flows of refugees and their personal tales are the focus of EU-funded researchers seeking to help countries manage immigration. By \u00a0Andrew Dunne In June 2007, a boat carrying 28 migrants went ashore on a beach on the southernmost tip of the Italian island of Sicily. Among the personal belongings\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Policy"","block_context":{"text":"Policy","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/policy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/20.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/20.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/20.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/20.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/20.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/06\/20.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":542,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/542\/athens-is-named-the-2018-european-capital-of-innovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":876,"position":5},"title":"Athens is named the 2018 European capital of innovation","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"November 6, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Athens, Greece has been named the 2018 European Capital of Innovation for the innovative ways in which it has overcome\u00a0social and economic challenges and turned them into new opportunities.\u00a0 The \u20ac1 million iCapital first prize was announced at the Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal on 6 November, with five other\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"environment\"","block_context":{"text":"environment","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/tag\/environment\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image credit - Pixabay\/sman_5, licensed under CC0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2018\/11\/athens-1891719_1920.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/322"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=876"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/876\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}