Posttraumatic stress disorder among displaced Syrians in Armenia: a research grant proposal

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a condition that can affect people who have gone through or witnessed a traumatic event. It can present with symptoms of intrusion, avoidance, altered mood and cognitions, altered arousal and reactivity, and functional impairment. War-related traumas are a category of traumas that include witnessing atrocities, being a refugee, and many others. Studies report varying prevalence rates of PTSD among different refugee populations worldwide. These variations reflect the differences in the type and magnitude of trauma, pre-displacement, post-displacement, and cultural factors. The main risk factors of PTSD are age, gender, level of education, marital status, number of traumas experienced, unemployment, socioeconomic status, and type of accommodation. As people experience trauma, some prove to be resilient; others experience posttraumatic growth; these, too, maybe influenced by the risk factors. As the Syrian war of 2011 started, Armenia became a major destination for displaced Syrian-Armenians. Around 15,000 displaced Syrians currently live in Armenia, no information on the mental health status of this population is available.