Abstract

Crisis within Turmoil: The Deterioration of Mental Health in Syrian-Armenian Refugees

Antranig Mesrobian, B.A., M.S.1, Carleen Sarksian, B.S., M.S. Candidate1, Sirvart Mesrobian, Psy. D., Barsegh Barseghian, M.S., M.D. Candidate and Bridget Abajian, B.S.
(1)University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

APHA 2017 Annual Meeting & Expo (Nov. 4 - Nov. 8)

War is a tragic consequence of humanity’s religious, cultural, and social narrative. Today's world is full of conflict, and while regimes rise and fall, the true victims are those displaced from their homes. Syria has been embroiled in a seven-year civil war, where millions of citizens seek asylum in neighboring countries. Escaping death and turmoil in their homeland, these refugees face the insurmountable task of re-establishing themselves with a myriad of mental health issues that affect them. Lack of awareness and treatment furthers the mental/physical health risks for both adults and children. This study aims to raise awareness of mental health issues of the Syrian-Armenian refugee population within Armenia. Concentrating our efforts on identifying their struggles will allow for proper treatment, thus preventing further distress, and ultimately assisting in the refugees' assimilation into a new society. Partnering with the Paros Foundation, we will establish a clinic where individuals can access healthcare resources and CBT interventions to improve quality of life. Our team plans to document the experiences of the refugees through individual interviews. We plan to measure their mental health using a multidisciplinary approach to assess their emotional and psychological state. Using a standardized validated survey; data will be collected on PTSD (PTSD Self-Test), depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory). The acquired data will then undergo statistical analysis using SPSS, t-test, and ANOVA. We hypothesize that Syrian-Armenian refugees in Armenia struggle with various traumatic, depressive and anxiety disorders due to cultural barriers and their volatile situation.

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs Assessment of individual and community needs for health education Diversity and culture Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs Social and behavioral sciences