Healthcare workers’ perspectives on trauma and mental health access for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar
BackgroundIn August 2017, the Rohingya population of northern Rakhine State in Myanmar fled to Bangladesh following “clearance operations” by the Myanmar security forces that were characterized by widespread and systematic violence, constituting severe human rights violations. The “clearance operati...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1458680/full |
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| author | Lindsey Green Linda Kaljee Shahanoor Akter Chowdhury Thomas McHale Ranit Mishori Ranit Mishori Dahlia Fateen Nima Sheth |
| author_facet | Lindsey Green Linda Kaljee Shahanoor Akter Chowdhury Thomas McHale Ranit Mishori Ranit Mishori Dahlia Fateen Nima Sheth |
| author_sort | Lindsey Green |
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| description | BackgroundIn August 2017, the Rohingya population of northern Rakhine State in Myanmar fled to Bangladesh following “clearance operations” by the Myanmar security forces that were characterized by widespread and systematic violence, constituting severe human rights violations. The “clearance operations” were preceded by years of consistent denial of the human rights of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. This study examines the impact of these human rights violations on the trauma experiences of Rohingya survivors, their resulting mental health, and the availability and access to post-migration mental health services.MethodsQualitative one-on-one interviews were conducted with 26 health care professionals who cared for Rohingya refugees after their arrival in Bangladesh.ResultsTrauma experienced by the Rohingya spanned the period before, during, and following migration and was ongoing at the time of data collection. The impact of Rohingya survivors’ concurrent grief and trauma in relation to the violence they experienced in Myanmar as well as during and after their journey to Bangladesh that, at times, exacerbated survivors’ trauma presentation. There were limited mental health services available in Bangladesh and additional structural and procedural barriers to care that limited responsiveness to Rohingya survivors’ mental health needs.ConclusionThe Rohingya experienced traumatic human rights violations in Myanmar that led to their forced migration to Bangladesh. The Rohingya continued to experience trauma during their forced migration to Bangladesh and were exposed to additional stressors in the post-migration settings in refugee camps, including lack of access to adequate mental health services. These experiences have resulted in a spectrum of stress-and trauma-related symptoms. These findings show the mental health impact of protracted human rights violations on the Rohingya, revealing how trauma is not a singular event but a continuous experience. Detailing the limited mental health infrastructure and structural barriers facing Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the findings underscore the urgent need for trauma-informed interventions that address the complex psychological consequences of systemic violence and displacement. The findings emphasize the critical importance of holistic mental health support in refugee settings, providing evidence-based recommendations for the public health and humanitarian sector to consider when designing programs to address the mental health and psychosocial support needs of sexual violence survivors living in conditions of displacement. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-afc2fbfcf7e14ef99a50d250de9e74ed |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-afc2fbfcf7e14ef99a50d250de9e74ed2025-01-27T05:14:41ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652025-01-011210.3389/fpubh.2024.14586801458680Healthcare workers’ perspectives on trauma and mental health access for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s BazarLindsey Green0Linda Kaljee1Shahanoor Akter Chowdhury2Thomas McHale3Ranit Mishori4Ranit Mishori5Dahlia Fateen6Nima Sheth7Physicians for Human Rights, Boston, MA, United StatesHenry Ford Health, Global Health Initiative, Detroit, MI, United StatesPhysicians for Human Rights, Boston, MA, United StatesPhysicians for Human Rights, Boston, MA, United StatesPhysicians for Human Rights, Boston, MA, United StatesGeorgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, United StatesGeorgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, United StatesCenter for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Rockville, MD, United StatesBackgroundIn August 2017, the Rohingya population of northern Rakhine State in Myanmar fled to Bangladesh following “clearance operations” by the Myanmar security forces that were characterized by widespread and systematic violence, constituting severe human rights violations. The “clearance operations” were preceded by years of consistent denial of the human rights of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. This study examines the impact of these human rights violations on the trauma experiences of Rohingya survivors, their resulting mental health, and the availability and access to post-migration mental health services.MethodsQualitative one-on-one interviews were conducted with 26 health care professionals who cared for Rohingya refugees after their arrival in Bangladesh.ResultsTrauma experienced by the Rohingya spanned the period before, during, and following migration and was ongoing at the time of data collection. The impact of Rohingya survivors’ concurrent grief and trauma in relation to the violence they experienced in Myanmar as well as during and after their journey to Bangladesh that, at times, exacerbated survivors’ trauma presentation. There were limited mental health services available in Bangladesh and additional structural and procedural barriers to care that limited responsiveness to Rohingya survivors’ mental health needs.ConclusionThe Rohingya experienced traumatic human rights violations in Myanmar that led to their forced migration to Bangladesh. The Rohingya continued to experience trauma during their forced migration to Bangladesh and were exposed to additional stressors in the post-migration settings in refugee camps, including lack of access to adequate mental health services. These experiences have resulted in a spectrum of stress-and trauma-related symptoms. These findings show the mental health impact of protracted human rights violations on the Rohingya, revealing how trauma is not a singular event but a continuous experience. Detailing the limited mental health infrastructure and structural barriers facing Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, the findings underscore the urgent need for trauma-informed interventions that address the complex psychological consequences of systemic violence and displacement. The findings emphasize the critical importance of holistic mental health support in refugee settings, providing evidence-based recommendations for the public health and humanitarian sector to consider when designing programs to address the mental health and psychosocial support needs of sexual violence survivors living in conditions of displacement.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1458680/fullRohingyamental healthrefugee mental healthhumanitarian responsehuman rightsMyanmar |
| spellingShingle | Lindsey Green Linda Kaljee Shahanoor Akter Chowdhury Thomas McHale Ranit Mishori Ranit Mishori Dahlia Fateen Nima Sheth Healthcare workers’ perspectives on trauma and mental health access for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar Frontiers in Public Health Rohingya mental health refugee mental health humanitarian response human rights Myanmar |
| title | Healthcare workers’ perspectives on trauma and mental health access for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar |
| title_full | Healthcare workers’ perspectives on trauma and mental health access for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar |
| title_fullStr | Healthcare workers’ perspectives on trauma and mental health access for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar |
| title_full_unstemmed | Healthcare workers’ perspectives on trauma and mental health access for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar |
| title_short | Healthcare workers’ perspectives on trauma and mental health access for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar |
| title_sort | healthcare workers perspectives on trauma and mental health access for rohingya refugees in cox s bazar |
| topic | Rohingya mental health refugee mental health humanitarian response human rights Myanmar |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1458680/full |
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