Aging and Mental Health
Volume 21, Issue 8, 2017, Pages 829-837

Mental health among older refugees: the role of trauma, discrimination, and religiousness (Article)

Mölsä M. , Kuittinen S. , Tiilikainen M. , Honkasalo M.-L. , Punamäki R.-L.*
  • a Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Department of Health and Welfare Inequalities Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
  • b School of Social Sciences and Humanities/ Psychology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
  • c Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  • d Center for the Study of Culture and Health, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
  • e School of Social Sciences and Humanities/ Psychology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine, first, how past traumatic stress and present acculturation indices, and discrimination are associated with mental health; and, second, whether religiousness can buffer the mental health from negative impacts of war trauma. Method: Participants were 128 older (50–80 years) Somali refugees living in Finland. They reported experiences of war trauma and childhood adversities, and filled-in questionnaires of perceived ethnic discrimination, religiousness (beliefs, attendance, and observance of Islamic faith), and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive (BDI-21), psychological distress (GHQ-12), and somatization (SCL-90). Results: Symptom-specific regression models showed that newly arrived refugees with non-permanent legal status and severe exposures to war trauma, childhood adversity, and discrimination endorsed greater PTSD symptoms, while only war trauma and discrimination were associated with depressive symptoms. Results confirmed that high religiousness could play a buffering role among older Somalis, as exposure to severe war trauma was not associated with high levels of PTSD or somatization symptoms among highly religious refugees. Conclusion: Health care should consider both unique past and present vulnerabilities and resources when treating refugees, and everyday discrimination and racism should be regarded as health risks. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Author Keywords

Somalis, older refugees religiousness Mental health discrimination childhood adversity war trauma

Index Keywords

Finland refugee human Refugees Warfare middle aged statistics and numerical data Aged ethnology religion Humans racism male Acculturation Aged, 80 and over female very elderly Religion and Psychology cultural factor Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events posttraumatic stress disorder Somalia Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic childhood trauma survivor
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84963526706&doi=10.1080%2f13607863.2016.1165183&partnerID=40&md5=d470b28a773951601f1dc7e0d547ae66
DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2016.1165183
ISSN: 13607863
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English