Mental health needs in forcibly displaced populations: critical reflections

摘要

The mental health consequences of armed conflicts on civilian populations have begun to draw more attention, primarily because of the increasing number of civilians in conflict zones and greater sensitivity to trauma-related mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (Jaff and Margolis 2017). A recent global initiative, Trauma and Mental Health in Forcibly Displaced Populations, by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) (Nickerson et al. 2017), is worthy of note for its effort to encourage the mitigation of mental health trauma among displaced populations.The authors inform the ISTSS membership, policy makers and global stakeholders about the mental health impacts of the refugee experience. The effort is laudable for acknowledging the challenges facing these highly vulnerable populations.