Francois Kazour1, Nada R Zahreddine2, Michel G Maragel2, Mustafa A Almustafa2, Michel Soufia3, Ramzi Haddad2, Sami Richa2. 1. Department of Psychiatry, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon; Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, JalEddib, Lebanon. Electronic address: francoiskazour@hotmail.com. 2. Department of Psychiatry, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon. 3. Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Lebanon is the main hosting country for the Syrian crisis, with more than one million Syrian refugees. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and identify its possible predictors, in a sample of Syrian refugees living in camps in Lebanon. METHOD: We conducted a household survey on Syrian refugees between 18 and 65years old in 6 camps of the Central Bekaa region, using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) as a diagnostic tool. RESULTS: Among the 452 respondents, we found a lifetime prevalence of PTSD of 35.4%, and a point prevalence of 27.2%. The lifetime prevalence of SUD was 1.99% and the point prevalence 0.66%. Multivariate logistic regression could not identify any predictor of current PTSD among a list of demographic variables, but identified the Syrian hometown as a significant predictor of lifetime PTSD (p=.013), with refugees from Aleppo having significantly more PTSD than those coming from Homs (adjusted OR 2.14, 95% CI [1.28, 3.56], p=.004). DISCUSSION: PTSD was a real mental health issue in our sample of adult Syrian refugees in Central Bekaa camps, unlike SUD. Copyright Â
INTRODUCTION: Lebanon is the main hosting country for the Syrian crisis, with more than one million Syrian refugees. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and identify its possible predictors, in a sample of Syrian refugees living in camps in Lebanon. METHOD: We conducted a household survey on Syrian refugees between 18 and 65years old in 6 camps of the Central Bekaa region, using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) as a diagnostic tool. RESULTS: Among the 452 respondents, we found a lifetime prevalence of PTSD of 35.4%, and a point prevalence of 27.2%. The lifetime prevalence of SUD was 1.99% and the point prevalence 0.66%. Multivariate logistic regression could not identify any predictor of current PTSD among a list of demographic variables, but identified the Syrian hometown as a significant predictor of lifetime PTSD (p=.013), with refugees from Aleppo having significantly more PTSD than those coming from Homs (adjusted OR 2.14, 95% CI [1.28, 3.56], p=.004). DISCUSSION: PTSD was a real mental health issue in our sample of adult Syrian refugees in Central Bekaa camps, unlike SUD. Copyright Â
Authors: Kirsty Clark; John Pachankis; Kaveh Khoshnood; Richard Bränström; David Seal; Danielle Khoury; Fouad M Fouad; Russell Barbour; Robert Heimer Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-05-13 Impact factor: 2.692