By the end of 2023, more than 100 million people globally had been forced to flee their homes due to war, violence, fear of persecution, and human rights violations. The majority are hosted in low- and middle-income countries , where many live in overcrowded camps or urban settlements, with limited access to food, employment and essential services . Many endure traumatic experiences not only before their displacement but also during and after it.
They face armed conflict, marginalisation and poverty at every stage of their journey. These experiences may increase the likelihood of developing mental health disorders , which can persist years after displacement . This makes it harder for refugees to earn a living and integrate into society.
As World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the 2019 Global Refugee Forum : It’s a hidden epidemic and a silent killer. News reports show us the devastation of war. They show us refugees on the move, refugees in cities and refugees in large camps.
But they don’t show us inside the minds of the people and how it affects their lives ...
Wounds heal. Homes are rebuilt. News cycles move on.
But the psychosocial scars often go unnoticed and untreated for years. Despite this recognition, there are gaps in what’s known about the mental health of refugees. Most studies focus on refugees hosted in high-income countries , even though 75% of refugees live in low- and middle-income countries.
We conducted .