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MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT FOR UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS, REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN ISTANBUL: THE EXPERIENCE OF MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES AND HELSINKI CITIZENS ASSEMBLY
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| Ana Sayfa > Seçtiğiniz Site Kısmı > VIII. EFTA AVRUPA AİLE TERAPİSİ DERNEĞİ KONGRESİ > SYMPOSIUM > |
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Since the 1990s, Turkey has seen a significant increase of migrants and asylum seekers arriving from the former Soviet Union, South and Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Lacking viable alternatives to either move on to a third country, return home or settle permanently in Turkey, undocumented migrants and asylum seekers can find themselves stranded for long periods of time in Istanbul. This presentation gives the outline of psycho-social support program which was held in an urban setting of a transit country for migrants and asylum seekers. In this two-year project 832 migrants were involved in this support project from many different countries, the most frequent countries of origin being the countries suffering from instability or in conflict (Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Congo, and Syria). Throughout the project a large array of interventions were implemented, adapted to the culture of each migrant community: mental health and psychosocial interventions (individual and group) and Community interventions. For the majority of our patients (78%) the main category of risk factor was exposure to violence (in their country of origin, en route during their migration journey or once in Turkey). The most prevalent categories of symptoms among patients were depression and anxiety. Populations exposed to different risk factors and situations of violence and other potentially-traumatic events are usually reacting with different signs that can be easily considered “pathological”, while they are normal reactions to those abnormal circumstances. Therefore a programme based on the acknowledgement of each individual linked to the environment and the experiences allows for a more pertinent and adjusted intervention.
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