Posttraumatic stress disorder and comorbid depression among refugees: Assessment of a sample from a German refugee reception center

Abstract

In 2015, a large number of refugees arrived in Germany, mostly driven to emigrate by devastating circumstances in their countries of origin. Arriving refugees are distributed to reception centers within the German federal states, frequently facing marginal conditions in terms of overcrowding or waiting time of several months until their application for asylum is processed. Most of these refugees underwent numerous traumatizing experiences—both in their country of origin and while fleeing from their country of origin. Furthermore, they faced and will likely continue to face various access barriers to mental health care. In this study, we assessed a sample of 85 refugees from a reception center in Germany selected due to their observed psychological strain. Results showed that the majority suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder, mostly with symptoms of intrusion, hyperarousal, avoidance, and dissociation. Most refugees also suffered from comorbid depression. We discuss implications of these findings for reception services and the need for more preventive psychiatric care.