Hesperian Health Guides
Mental Health
Contents
Causes of mental health problems
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People must be able to cope with sudden and forced change so they and their families can survive.
Refugee and displaced people often have mental health problems, such as feeling extreme sadness, loss of pleasure from anything, or very low energy (depression), feeling nervous or worried (anxiety), or feeling unable to get over horrible things that happened in the past (severe reaction to trauma). These can be caused by:
- Loss of home. Home is where people feel safe, secure, and connected to their community. The loss of a woman’s authority in her home may be especially painful.
- Loss of family and community support. Many displaced women must take on new responsibilities, sometimes becoming head of the family and providing loved ones with security. Doing this without their network of emotional and physical support can cause them to feel afraid and alone.
- Witnessing or experiencing violence.
- Loss of independence and useful work. Refugees and displaced people often have a hard time finding work in their new home. Many women still have the job of caring for their families, but many of the ways they did that, like growing crops, cooking meals, weaving and other crafts, may no longer be possible to do. This can cause feelings of uselessness and hopelessness.
- Crowded living. Living in an overcrowded setting prevents people from having privacy, affects their relationships (often leading to conflict), and can cause stress, anxiety, and trouble sleeping.
- Difficulty mourning or grieving. There are many things to grieve when people are forced to leave their homes: loss of community, work, loved ones, and life as one knew it. When fleeing and traveling in dangerous conditions, refugees and displaced people often do not get to say goodbye or mourn in traditional ways, making it harder to accept these losses.
For information about signs of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, and severe reactions to trauma, and ways to help yourself and help others, see Chapter 27, “Mental Health.”
Working for better mental health
More Information
helping relationshipsThe best way to prevent mental health problems from worsening is to talk with others about feelings, worries, and concerns. Here are some suggestions for encouraging people in your community to listen to and support each other:
- Organize activities that let people spend time together, such as nutrition, literacy classes, child care, or other needed activities. Make extra efforts to include people who seem afraid, uninterested, or unable to get involved. Organized child care is important so women can participate in activities. Try to find ways children can participate in activities too.
A group of Guatemalan refugee women who felt a deep loss when they left their land worked together to plant vegetables and flowers. This helped them feel close to the earth and part of a community again, and it provided some food for their families.
- Organize support groups to help those in your community going through similar experiences. People may feel motivated to meet with others about their same age or who share similar issues. You might ask for help from a local health worker to get it started.
- Work with others to find ways to grieve and mourn. You may be able to adapt some of your traditional rituals to your new situation. It can be helpful to grieve as a group in whatever ways you can.
- Find local mental health resources. Find out if there are trained mental health workers or counselors who can help people having mental health problems or who can help you learn counseling skills. It is also important to learn what to do if there is a mental health emergency.