Terrorism in the Country of Origin is linked to deterioration in the Mental Health of Refugees

TY - JOUR

T1 - Terrorism in the Country of Origin is linked to deterioration in the Mental Health of Refugees

AU - Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar

AU - Dinesen, Peter Thisted

AU - Hansen, Bertel Teilfeldt

AU - Østergaard, Søren Dinesen

AU - Danckert, Bolette

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.

PY - 2021/11/1

Y1 - 2021/11/1

N2 - Refugees flee their country of origin to escape threats to their existence. Yet, despite having left behind the immediate physical dangers in their country of origin, refugees may continue to experience negative psychological consequences of contemporary violence in this country because of their connection to it. Using longitudinal population data from Denmark, we show that refugees were substantially more likely to use antidepressant, anxiolytic, and hypnotic drugs in periods when their country of origin was more intensely afflicted by terrorism. The finding that contemporary home country terrorism is negatively associated with the mental health of refugees highlights the potential vulnerability of such groups, and points to the need to identify the extended global consequences of terrorism.

AB - Refugees flee their country of origin to escape threats to their existence. Yet, despite having left behind the immediate physical dangers in their country of origin, refugees may continue to experience negative psychological consequences of contemporary violence in this country because of their connection to it. Using longitudinal population data from Denmark, we show that refugees were substantially more likely to use antidepressant, anxiolytic, and hypnotic drugs in periods when their country of origin was more intensely afflicted by terrorism. The finding that contemporary home country terrorism is negatively associated with the mental health of refugees highlights the potential vulnerability of such groups, and points to the need to identify the extended global consequences of terrorism.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106221175&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41562-021-01123-7

DO - 10.1038/s41562-021-01123-7

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34017095

SN - 2397-3374

VL - 5

SP - 1555

EP - 1561

JO - Nature Human Behaviour

JF - Nature Human Behaviour

IS - 11

ER -