Helping Refugees with PTSD Receive the Care They Need

Statement of Problem

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects nearly 1 in 10 resettled refugee adults in high- and middle-income nations. Not effectively treating an adult’s PTSD can have profound negative impacts on their child’s behavior and development, which can lead to a number of health-related issues in the future. We know that kids do better when their parents do better, so it’s essential to take the necessary steps to improve the health of caregivers. 

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has a comprehensive systematic review that outlines the evidence base for PTSD treatment titled “Psychological and Pharmacological Treatments for Adults with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.” However, the review does not describe the evidence specifically for refugees and does not include direction to clinicians on how to present treatment options to adults with emerging English proficiency.

Description

Helping Refugees with PTSD Receive the Care They Need

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This project will focus on increasing knowledge of Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute treatment evidence among clinicians who care for refugees, as well as professional interpreters and refugee community leaders, and provide guidance on how to discuss treatment options with patients.

Next Steps

Our hope is that by strengthening providers’ knowledge of PTSD treatment for refugees, all refugees will have the opportunity to live a healthy life not only for themselves, but also for their children.

PCORI is an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress in 2010 to fund comparative effectiveness research that will provide patients, their caregivers, and clinicians with the evidence needed to make better-informed health and healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.

This project page was last updated in December 2021.

Suggested Citation

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PolicyLab. Helping Refugees with PTSD Receive the Care They Need  [Online]. Available at: http://www.policylab.chop.edu [Accessed: plug in date accessed here].