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EPA-1582 - The Role of Torture in Asylum Seekers: Preliminary Data

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

M. Pascucci ,
A. D’Onghia ,
F. Padalino ,
M. Nardini ,
G. Pozzi ,
L. Janiri ,
M. Altamura  and
A. Bellomo
M. Pascucci
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences - Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Rome, Italy
A. D’Onghia
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sciences - University of Foggia, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Foggia, Italy
F. Padalino
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sciences - University of Foggia, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Foggia, Italy
M. Nardini
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences - University of Bari, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Bari, Italy
G. Pozzi
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences - Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Rome, Italy
L. Janiri
Affiliation:
Department of Neurosciences - Catholic University of the Sacred Hearth, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Rome, Italy
M. Altamura
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sciences - University of Foggia, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Foggia, Italy
A. Bellomo
Affiliation:
Department of Medical Sciences - University of Foggia, Institute of Psychiatry and Psychology, Foggia, Italy

Abstract

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Objectives

Asylum Seekers experience different kinds of trauma, such as tortures, threats and loss of family members in the countries of origin, but also desperate journeys and legal concerns in the accepting countries. Our aim is to investigate mental health disorders among AS and to study the importance of torture in the development of their symptoms.

Methods

We recruited 45 AS (males, age 29±6), guests of a reception center in Borgo Mezzanone (Foggia, Italy). The following instruments were administered: MINI, SCL-90-R and Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS). Pre-migration, migration, and post-migration stressors were assessed using a self-administered scale.

Results

75,6% of our patients reported a Major Depressive Episode currently, while 20% in the past. 35,6% suffered from PTSD, 13,3% agoraphobia. and 88,9% GAD. 2,3% reported psychotic symptoms and 13,3% alcohol or drugs abuse in the last year. Torture showed a correlation with PTSD (p<0,01), while physical injuries correlated with alcohol abuse (p<0,02), but not with other psychiatric disorders. Tortured ones had greater scores in pre-migration stressors scale (p<0,001) and greater DTS avoidance (p=0,03), DTS global gravity (p=0,003) and DTS total score (p=0,04). Both torture and PTSD did not correlate with SCL-90-R scales.

Conclusions

most of AS showed depressive and anxious symptoms and one-third had PTSD. All of them experienced different kinds of traumas, but only torture seems to play a major role in developing PTSD, while all kinds of trauma are equally important as to the perceived symptomatology, since both torture and PTSD did not correlate with higher SCL-90-R scores.

Type
P11 - Epidemiology and Social Psychiatry
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 29 , Issue S1: Abstracts of the 22nd European Congress of Psychiatry , 2014 , pp. 1
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2014
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