It’s time to focus on mental health strategies that lean into refugees’ strengths, researchers say

Medical Xpress October 23, 2024
University of New South Wales

A systematic review led by University of New South Wales (UNSW) Professor Angela Nickerson has identified several strong protective and promotive factors that are associated with better mental health outcomes among refugee adults.

“While exposure to persecution, war and displacement is associated with high rates of psychological disorders, such as PTSD and depression, remarkably the majority of refugees, despite having gone through very difficult experiences, don’t go on to develop a psychological disorder,” says Prof. Nickerson, Director of the Refugee Trauma and Recovery Program at UNSW’s School of Psychology.

Despite this, previous research has focused on trying to understand factors that predict psychopathology or psychological distress, rather than factors that predict well-being or resilience.

“More recently, however, there has been...

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