Refugee trauma worse than war trauma
(Medical Xpress) -- The trauma of being a refugee can be worse than the trauma of war, according to a new Victoria University study. School of Social Sciences and Psychology PhD researcher Dr Anita Milicevic interviewed nearly 50 Croatian, Bosnian Muslim and Serbian parents and children who escaped the Balkans conflict 20 years ago to live in Melbourne. Her study concluded the loss of dignity during the refugee experience had been more psychologically damaging than the horrors of war or persecution. Many of those interviewed said having managed to survive torture or the perils of living in a war zone, they then experienced much greater humiliation, degradation and rejection in every aspect of their emotional, social and professional lives as refugees, Dr Milicevic said. Participants commonly reported shock, denial, fear and a sense of powerlessness in the initial stage of the refugee experience, she said. Being a refugee for them...