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Prolonged Internal Displacement and Common Mental Disorders in Sri Lanka: The COMRAID Study

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  • Chesmal Siriwardhana
  • Anushka Adikari
  • Gayani Pannala
  • Sisira Siribaddana
  • Melanie Abas
  • Athula Sumathipala
  • Robert Stewart

Abstract

Background: Evidence is lacking on the mental health issues of internally displaced persons, particularly where displacement is prolonged. The COMRAID study was carried out in year 2011 as a comprehensive evaluation of Muslims in North-Western Sri Lanka who had been displaced since 1990 due to conflict, to investigate the prevalence and correlates of common mental disorders. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among a randomly selected sample of internally displaced people who had migrated within last 20 years or were born in displacement. The total sample consisted of 450 adults aged 18–65 years selected from 141 settlements. Common mental disorders (CMDs) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalences were measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire and CIDI sub-scale respectively. Results: The prevalence of any CMD was 18.8%, and prevalence for subtypes was as follows: somatoform disorder 14.0%, anxiety disorder 1.3%, major depression 5.1%, other depressive syndromes 7.3%. PTSD prevalence was 2.4%. The following factors were significantly associated with CMDs: unemployment (odds ratio 2.8, 95% confidence interval 1.6–4.9), widowed or divorced status (4.9, 2.3–10.1) and food insecurity (1.7, 1.0–2.9). Conclusions: This is the first study investigating the mental health impact of prolonged forced displacement in post-conflict Sri Lanka. Findings add new insight in to mental health issues faced by internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka and globally, highlighting the need to explore broader mental health issues of vulnerable populations affected by forced displacement.

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  • Chesmal Siriwardhana & Anushka Adikari & Gayani Pannala & Sisira Siribaddana & Melanie Abas & Athula Sumathipala & Robert Stewart, 2013. "Prolonged Internal Displacement and Common Mental Disorders in Sri Lanka: The COMRAID Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(5), pages 1-8, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0064742
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064742
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Artazcoz, L. & Benach, J. & Borrell, C. & Cortès, I., 2004. "Unemployment and Mental Health: Understanding the Interactions among Gender, Family Roles, and Social Class," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(1), pages 82-88.
    2. Carlos Bozzoli & Tilman Brück & Tony Muhumuza, 2012. "Movers or Stayers? Understanding the Drivers of IDP Camp Decongestion during Post-Conflict Recovery in Uganda," Discussion Papers of DIW Berlin 1197, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
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    1. Jayawickreme, Nuwan & Mootoo, Candace & Fountain, Christine & Rasmussen, Andrew & Jayawickreme, Eranda & Bertuccio, Rebecca F., 2017. "Post-conflict struggles as networks of problems: A network analysis of trauma, daily stressors and psychological distress among Sri Lankan war survivors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 190(C), pages 119-132.
    2. Alyssa Banford Witting & Jessica Lambert & Thulitha Wickrama & Sivaguru Thanigaseelan & Michael Merten, 2016. "War and disaster in Sri Lanka: Depression, family adjustment and health among women heading households," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 62(5), pages 425-433, August.
    3. Tarig Taha Mohamed Salah & Touraj Ayazi & Lars Lien & Arne Eide & Edvard Hauff, 2015. "Social phobia among long-term internally displaced persons: An epidemiological study of adults in two internally displaced person settlements in Sudan," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 61(6), pages 550-559, September.
    4. Kushilpal Kaur & Ahmad Hatim Sulaiman & Chee Kok Yoon & Aili Hanim Hashim & Manveen Kaur & Koh Ong Hui & Zuraida Ahmad Sabki & Benedict Francis & Sarbhan Singh & Jesjeet Singh Gill, 2020. "Elucidating Mental Health Disorders among Rohingya Refugees: A Malaysian Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-22, September.

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