Determinants of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Syrian Refugees living in Turkey's four cities

Abstract

Circumstances of forced migrations are associated with increased post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research indicates that Syrian refugees are highly vulnerable and likely to experience various mental diseases due to forced migration and war-related traumatic events. Also, there are geographical-based differences in the psychological stress outcomes of refugees. The objective of the research is to examine the differences in self-reported PTSD due to circumstances of forced migration among Syrian refugees living in Turkey (N=777 respondents) by their living city. To explore which group of factors had the most significant influence on PTSD, I conducted multiple logistic regression analyses for 777 respondents. Considering logistic analysis results, self-reporting post-traumatic stress is more common among Syrian refugees who live in large cities (İstanbul/İzmir) and Syrian border conservative cities (Şanlıurfa), have poorer self-expressed health status, experience war-related situations, feel unsafe in their neighbourhood and receive less support from their families when faced with problems. These findings point to the importance of assessing self-reported PTSD due to the circumstances of refugees. Furthermore, these results show that refugees feel the burden of the experiences they carry differently.