Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde
Volume 142, Issue 12, 1998, Pages 617-620

Psychiatric disorders in refugees and asylum seekers: Psychotrauma? [Psychiatrische stoornissen bij asielzoekers en vluchtelingen: Psychotrauma als oorzaak?] (Article)

Rijnders R.J.P.* , Hovens J.E.J.M. , Rooijmans H.G.M.
  • a De Vonk/Centrum '45, Kliniek voor de Behandeling, Getraumat. Vluchtelingen/Asielzoek., Westeinde 94, 2211 XS Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands
  • b De Vonk/Centrum '45, Kliniek voor de Behandeling, Getraumat. Vluchtelingen/Asielzoek., Westeinde 94, 2211 XS Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands
  • c De Vonk/Centrum '45, Kliniek voor de Behandeling, Getraumat. Vluchtelingen/Asielzoek., Westeinde 94, 2211 XS Noordwijkerhout, Netherlands

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder was diagnosed in two patients, men aged 26 and 29, an asylum seeker from the Middle East and a refugee from former Yugoslavia respectively. They had experienced severe psychotraumatic events. They were referred to a clinic for traumatised refugees and asylum seekers. Their psychiatric disturbances did not fit posttraumatic stress disorder, however. The former suffered from a schizophrenic disorder, the latter from psychosis and depression based on alcohol dependence. Growing awareness of the high prevalence of traumatic experiences in the population leads to a contextual shift in therapists regarding their understanding of the short and long term effects of traumatization in their patients. Exclusive focus on the traumatic history, however, biases the diagnostic process and could lead to wrong conclusions about a causal relationship between traumatic experiences and the psychopathology observed in the patient. When treating asylum seekers or refugees the risk of jumping to this false conclusion is even higher, partially due to cultural and language barriers.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

male case report refugee psychotrauma Article mental disease human adult posttraumatic stress disorder
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0032554583&partnerID=40&md5=9e6fa15af1d6dc7d9b309496e4b402f4
ISSN: 00282162
Original Language: Dutch