Association of traumatic events with levels of psychological distress and depressive symptoms in male asylum seekers and refugees resettled in Italy

Background:In recent years there has been a progressive rise in the number of asylum seekers and refugeesdisplaced from their country of origin, with significant social, economic, public health and mental healthimplications. The aim of this study is to (1) describe the level of psychological distress and frequency of psychiatricdisorders in a sample of male asylum seekers and refugees across different ethnic groups resettled in Italy; (2)establish whether the number of traumatic events experienced before, during and after the migration process isassociated with level of psychological distress and depressive symptoms.Methods:In two large Italian catchment areas, over a period of 1 year a consecutive series of male asylum seekersand refugees, aged 18 or above and included in the Italian protection system, were screened for psychologicaldistress and psychiatric disorders using validated questionnaires.Results:During the study period, 252 male asylum seekers or refugees were recruited. More than one-third of theparticipants (34.5%) showed clinically relevant psychological distress, and one-fourth (22.2%), met the criteria for apsychiatric diagnosis, mainly Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and depressive disorders. The number of traumaticevents turned out to be a risk factor for both clinically relevant psychological distress and depressive disorders.Receiving good social support emerged as a protective factor, while migrants with unclear status were at higherrisk of psychological distress than those holding or awaiting a permission.Discussion:In an unselected sample of male asylum seekers and refugees, after around 1 year of resettlement inItaly, the frequency of psychological distress and psychiatric disorders was substantial and clinically relevant. Theassociation between traumatic events, especially post-migration problems, and mental health conditions suggeststhe need of developing services to assist refugees and asylum seekers to address the multi-faceted problems theyexperience, such as social support in host country, legal problems concerning permit status and asylum procedure,and family reunification, as well as addressing trauma and mental health issues