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

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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.
Original languageEnglish
JournalNature Human Behavior
Volume5
Issue11
Pages (from-to)1555-1561
Number of pages7
ISSN2397-3374
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Nov 2021

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