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Barriers to Mental Health Help-Seeking Amongst Refugee Men

Author

Listed:
  • Yulisha Byrow

    (School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia)

  • Rosanna Pajak

    (School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia)

  • Tadgh McMahon

    (Settlement Services International, Sydney, NSW 2131, Australia
    Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA 5042, Australia)

  • Amitabh Rajouria

    (Settlement Services International, Sydney, NSW 2131, Australia)

  • Angela Nickerson

    (School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia)

Abstract

Rates of help-seeking for mental health problems are low amongst refugee communities, despite the high prevalence of PTSD reported amongst these individuals. Research suggests that the key barriers to seeking help for psychological problems include structural barriers (e.g., unstable housing), cultural barriers (e.g., mental health stigma), and barriers specific to refugees and asylum seekers (e.g., visa status). This study examined the effect of structural, cultural and refugee specific barriers on the relationship between PTSD symptom severity and intentions to seek help from professional, social, and community sources. Data was collected from 103 male refugees and asylum seekers with an Arabic-, Farsi-, or Tamil-speaking background. Participants completed measures indexing demographics, trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, mental health stigma, and help-seeking intentions. Path analyses indicated that PTSD severity was associated with lower help-seeking intentions indirectly via mental health stigma (self-stigma for seeking help and self-stigma for PTSD) and visa security. PTSD severity was also associated with greater help-seeking intentions from community members indirectly via structural barriers. These findings are important to consider when identifying key barriers to mental health help-seeking and developing interventions designed to increase help-seeking for psychological problems, within this group.

Suggested Citation

  • Yulisha Byrow & Rosanna Pajak & Tadgh McMahon & Amitabh Rajouria & Angela Nickerson, 2019. "Barriers to Mental Health Help-Seeking Amongst Refugee Men," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:15:p:2634-:d:251016
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pallab Majumder & Michelle O’Reilly & Khalid Karim & Panos Vostanis, 2015. "‘This doctor, I not trust him, I’m not safe’: The perceptions of mental health and services by unaccompanied refugee adolescents," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(2), pages 129-136, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Nelsensius Klau Fauk & Anna Ziersch & Hailay Gesesew & Paul Ward & Erin Green & Enaam Oudih & Roheena Tahir & Lillian Mwanri, 2021. "Migrants and Service Providers’ Perspectives of Barriers to Accessing Mental Health Services in South Australia: A Case of African Migrants with a Refugee Background in South Australia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-21, August.
    2. Meng Zheng & Feng Chen & Yan Pan & Di Kong & Andre M. N. Renzaho & Berhe W. Sahle & Rashidul Alam Mahumud & Li Ling & Wen Chen, 2022. "Trends and Impact Factors of Mental Health Service Utilization among Resettled Humanitarian Migrants in Australia: Findings from the BNLA Cohort Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Klimentina Krstanoska-Blazeska & Russell Thomson & Shameran Slewa-Younan, 2021. "Mental Illness Stigma and Associated Factors among Arabic-Speaking Religious and Community Leaders," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-13, July.
    4. Dorthe Varning Poulsen & Anna María Pálsdóttir & Sasja Iza Christensen & Lotta Wilson & Sigurd Wiingaard Uldall, 2020. "Therapeutic Nature Activities: A Step Toward the Labor Market for Traumatized Refugees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Ruth León-Pinilla & Ana Soto-Rubio & Vicente Prado-Gascó, 2020. "Support and Emotional Well-Being of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Spain," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-17, November.
    6. Madsen, Julian & Jobson, Laura & Slewa-Younan, Shameran & Li, Haoxiang & King, Kylie, 2024. "Mental health literacy among Arab men living in high-income Western countries: A systematic review and narrative synthesis," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 346(C).
    7. Anu E. Castaneda & Katja Çilenti & Shadia Rask & Eero Lilja & Natalia Skogberg & Hannamaria Kuusio & Essi Salama & Jari Lahti & Marko Elovainio & Jaana Suvisaari & Seppo Koskinen & Päivikki Koponen, 2020. "Migrants Are Underrepresented in Mental Health and Rehabilitation Services—Survey and Register-Based Findings of Russian, Somali, and Kurdish Origin Adults in Finland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-19, August.

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