Objectives: To assess the long-term effects of trauma on the mental health of Guatemalan refugees living in Chiapas, Mexico since 1981 and to determine need for mental health services. Methods: Cross-sectional, household survey in five refugee camps in November-December,2000. Of 60 Guatemalan refugee settlements in Chiapas with an estimated 12,500 residents, five were surveyed, representing an estimated population of 1,546. All adults (ages 16 years and older) in all households were asked to participate, however on average only 1 adult per household completed the questionnaires. An estimated 95% of all households were surveyed. Respondents (n=179) received the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and two questionnaires on common Latin American and Mayan indigenous illnesses. Results: Ninety-five percent of respondents were born in Guatemala. The prevalence rate for post-traumatic stress disorder was 11.2%; the prevalence rates of scores indicating anxiety and depression were 54.4% and 39.1%, respectively. Ataque de Nervios, a Latino-Carribean syndrome associated with distress, was reported by 36.1% of the respondents compared to 16% in a community adult mental health study in Puerto Rico. Conclusions: Psychiatric morbidity related to trauma events and refugee status was common among survey respondents. Guatemalan refugees surveyed may benefit from culturally appropriate and sustainable mental health assistance twenty years after the Guatemalan civil conflict.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participants in this session will be able to: 1. Discuss the current mental health status of a sample of Guatemalan refugees. 2. Articulate key components of rapid, mental health assessment in indigenous populations.
Keywords: Refugees, Mental Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None.
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.