Refugees' mental health affected by COVID-19 stressorsFor refugees, the biggest predictor of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), health anxiety, depression, or disability during COVID-19 was if their pandemic experiences triggered memories of past trauma, according to survey results published today in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology.The researchers surveyed 656 adult refugees in Australia (average age, 42.85 years).
Most were from Iraq (58.7%) or Syria (16.9%), and the average time they had lived in Australia was 4.64 years. Most had a secure visa (86.2%), but one in five said their employment declined or was lost because of COVID-19.