Displacement, Violence, and Mental Health: Evidence from Rohingya Adolescents in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh.

Katherine O'Connor,Jennifer Seager

doi:10.3390/ijerph18105318

Abstract

The Rohingya have endured generations of trauma through displacement and targeted violence in Myanmar. Hundreds of thousands have been forced out of the country, with a large proportion settling in refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. This study examines the impacts of exposure to trauma on mental health outcomes among Rohingya adolescents living in Bangladesh. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are examined as outcomes. The main explanatory variable is a measure of exposure to trauma at two levels of proximity (experiencing and witnessing). Resilience is investigated as a potential effect modifier. Experiencing and witnessing traumatic events are positively and significantly associated with PTSD and depression. However, this effect is only seen for PTSD as a continuous measure, reflecting high rates of low-level PTSD in this population. Resilience is found to reduce the effects of trauma on depression, indicating an effect modification of this relationship.

Highlights

Adolescents in Cox’s Bazar, According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in2018, there were 25.9 million refugees across the globe, over half of whom are under the age of 18 [1]
We find that Rohingya adolescents are exposed to extremely traumatic events at high rates: nearly 50% experience being close to death and over 40% experience being in a combat situation or torture
We focus on the sample of Rohingya adolescents to estimate the relationship between exposure to trauma at two different levels of proximity and mental health outcomes

Summary

Introduction

2018, there were 25.9 million refugees across the globe, over half of whom are under the age of 18 [1]. Refugee populations across the globe experience exposure to violence and trauma. Studies have shown that refugees who have been victims of human rights violations experience a large number of traumatic events, with individuals reporting between 7 and 15 traumatic incidences [2]. This exposure to trauma has been found to translate into significant mental health issues in a diverse number of populations [3]. Adolescents deal with other challenges, such as the development of self-identity and independence [7]

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Results

Discussion

Conclusion