Some Common Mental Health Issues in Somali Refugees

Our Somali community in Ohio has become an integral part of our society. To help our Somali refugees, numerous organizations such as Somali Community Link have been collecting donations and organizing programs.

scrabble tiles reading mental health

Unfortunately, Somali refugees face mental health issues after leaving their home in Somalia. In this article, we’ll discuss these common mental health issues.

Depression

Depression is the most common mental health condition globally. Every year, a significant amount of individuals commit suicide due to depression. This mental health disorder can affect a person’s thoughts and feelings, impacting how they feel, think, and act.

Depression can occur due to various reasons, mainly due to a stressful or upsetting life event. Somali refugees experience numerous stressful events back home. Unfortunately, very rarely, they get professional help to recover from these events.

As a result, most refugees can get depressed due to the events they’ve witnessed. When Somali refugees resettle in different countries, this depression can worsen due to the stress of rebuilding their lives from scratch.

Anxiety

Think about it; what would you feel if you had to move away from your country due to terrible living conditions? Stressful, right? Well, our thoughts can’t come close to what our Somali refugees experience. From past trauma to the worries of the future, a lot of things can contribute to a refugee’s anxiety.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Another mental issue Somali refugees experience is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These refugees may be miles away from their country but they still carry the weight of the trauma they experienced back home. According to studies, about 48.1% of Somali refugees struggle with PTSD. Those events keep traumatizing them even when they’re trying to build their lives in a new country. Some individuals may get flashbacks, nightmares, hallucinations, panic attacks, etc.

A person holding a donation box


Do you want to help our Somali community? Send your contributions to Somali Community Link.

Somali Community Link is a non-profit organization helping Somali community in Central Ohio. This organization aims to help Somali refugees by accommodating their housing and education needs. Participate in this initiative and watch our Somali community in Central Ohio grow.

Let’s all come together and contribute our time, money, and other resources to help our Somali community in Central Ohio.

 

 

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