Citation

Morrow CB, Krishna N. Transcult. Psychiatry 2019; ePub(ePub): 1363461519847314.

Affiliation

University of Maryland Baltimore.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, McGill University, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/1363461519847314

PMID

31088222

Abstract

We report the case of a young male refugee from Afghanistan who presented after a violent suicide attempt, likely precipitated in part by discrimination and social isolation experienced after immigrating to the United States. Common psychiatric comorbidities associated with immigration from war-torn nations are reviewed with a particular emphasis on how adequate screening and additional resources for vulnerable refugees during and after immigration continues to be an unmet need. Our findings suggest that there is a critical need and additional studies should be conducted, not only to identify at risk refugee populations but also to prevent potentially violent behavior. Our findings also suggest a lack of an optimal screening tool and shed light on the struggles of refugees, particularly those from Afghanistan.

Language: en

Keywords

Afghan; depression; discrimination; refugee populations; suicide; violence