29/08/2022
The emergency response for Ukrainians arriving into their host countries has so far focused on their practical needs, and acknowledged that they arrived frightened, distressed or worn out. But now attention is turning towards their medium-term to longer-term needs and their ongoing psychological well-being.
Over the last couple of months I’ve been getting involved in the medium-term response and working on helping Ukrainian refugees who arrived into the UK. It’s been rewarding to start helping Ukrainians and to be able to see progress in the UK’s emergency response. I would like to thank the BABCP for quickly providing a series of training workshops for CBT Therapists, and also humanitarian organisations who made training available to a range of professionals who might come into contact with refugees in their workplaces.
It’s been really useful for me to take refresher training on working with interpreters and Trauma-Focused CBT for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; and to take part in new training on: the UK asylum process, the UN Convention and international law relating to refugees, adapting Trauma-Focused CBT for refugees, and the UK resources that are available to new arrivals from Ukraine.
It’s helpful to avoid the assumption that all refugees have PTSD. A literature review in 2021 found that 16%-35% of refugees and asylum seekers who request help for their mental health actually had PTSD. This is lower than you might imagine. Studies in 2015 and 2016 found that 30%-50% of refugees and asylum seekers have depression. Also a lot of refugees and asylum seekers experience problems with insomnia, anxiety, grief, anger and loneliness.
The NICE guidelines indicate that the 1st choice of treatment for PTSD amongst refugees is psychological therapy that discusses the traumatic events in detail. For adults, this is either Trauma-Focused CBT or EMDR, and for children this is Trauma-Focused CBT.
What can I do to help a refugee who has arrived in my country?
- make them feel welcome, and let them know they have your support
- don’t make assumptions – each person’s experience will be different. Not all experiences are traumatic, and not everyone will be traumatised.
- listen!
- don’t force people to talk about traumatic events
- remember a person’s anxiety or depression may be “understandable” given their journey and experience, but this does not mean that they don’t need help with their mental health
- ask what the person needs
- point them in the direction of practical support and professional help
- if you find you’re struggling with this, just be kind!
