Determining the Mental Health & Psycho-Social Needs of a Refugee Population in Pforzheim/Enzkreis: First Results

Introduction::

The total persons that arrived requesting asylum have been estimated by some to be around 900 000 people in 2015 alone. It has been suggested that more than 50% of the asylum seekers have psychological problems. The German Health system is currently challenged with appropriate and efficient ways in which to identify and manage psychosocial-related pathology due to various reasons. Psycho-Social Centers in Baden-Württemberg providing specialized care exist, however these appear to be few and currently overwhelmed. There is therefore a need to seek an efficient and complimentary first-phase preventative community-based mental health care model for the refugee population seeking support.

Aim and Method::

The aim of this study was to determine 1) the psycho-social needs of a multicultural refugee population living in a district in Southern Germany. Supervised university students with migration backgrounds, used a Free-Listing methodology to interview a convenient sample of 101 refugees living in Refugee Camps in Pforzheim and Enzkreis. A total of 135 hours were spent interviewing refugees.

Results::

The top G most frequently cited problems were: the lack of access to German language courses, noise in the camps and biased treatment from authorities based on ethnicity. The most frequent interpersonal and intrapersonal problems cited were: prejudice/racism amongst refugees, general unhappiness with living in camp, lack of self-fulfillment because of lack of work and worry about family in their country of origin.

Conclusion::

In addition to the promotion of well-being and fostering resilience, a Mental Health and Psychosocial Services (MHPSS) for this Health District should focus on inter- and intrapersonal themes outlined in the Needs Assessment.