Science Snippet: Migrants Showing Signs of PTSD

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not limited to servicemen returning from combat. It can affect civilians who experience psychological trauma, such as those who suffer chronic mental or physical abuse. Sad to say, many of the 1.2 million migrants fleeing to Europe to escape war and tyranny end up with mental problems. One German study suggests that more than half show signs of a mental disorder, and a quarter of the migrants have PTSD, anxiety or depression. These people will not get better without help, and Germany and other European countries are beginning to wake up and address the crisis. More mental health professionals are hired and special programs created to help migrants and their families deal with the problems they face in a new land. Migrants may arrive in Europe with only the clothes on their backs, have to deal with an alien society speaking a new language, have no home or assets, and have little ability to feed themselves and their families. No wonder the mental state of migrants is becoming a public health challenge. (Nature, 2016, Oct. 13)