With age come many challenges, especially for refugees. Combined with the pressure to assimilate to a new culture, the trials of old age put the mental health of refugees at serious risk.
At time when more than 59 million people are displaced worldwideㅡthe highest on record according to UN reportsㅡless than half of those individuals have received refugee status.
Based on data from the United Nations refugee agency, around 3 percent of the refugees coming to the U.S. are 60 years old or older.
According to the Refugee Processing Center, over 1,000 refugees arrived in Illinois since October. Many settle in or around Chicago, which has just five resettlement agencies to help them adjust to life in the U.S.
Private donors must provide most …show more content…
“They’re being cut off, slashed off from support through the government, and that’s a big problem. A really big problem.”
Underfunding valuable resources hurts the entire refugee population, but it especially affects older refugees, who may need more help adjusting to life in a strange country. Amy Dix, clinical supervisor at Heartland Health Outreach, explained that refugees are often plagued by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, major depression and generalized anxiety. For older refugees especially, these disorders make it difficult to focus on adapting to a new culture.
“People tend to isolate,” Dix said. “They’re dealing with all the intrusive thoughts, they’re worried and ruminating. They’re not really integrating into their new lives. They’re very focused on their children and on the …show more content…
They may not be physically able to travel to doctor’s appointments without assistance, or they may be unfamiliar with public transportation systems.
Communication is another major barrier for older refugees being treated for mental health problems, Dix said. If they do not speak the same language as a healthcare provider, it may be hard to convey the extent of their pain. Their physicians may not be knowledgeable about the culture or struggles the refugees faced prior to coming to the U.S.
“They want to talk about the past a lot. They’re homesick,” Dix said. “Talking about the past is like food. It’s something they really
At time when more than 59 million people are displaced worldwideㅡthe highest on record according to UN reportsㅡless than half of those individuals have received refugee status.
Based on data from the United Nations refugee agency, around 3 percent of the refugees coming to the U.S. are 60 years old or older.
According to the Refugee Processing Center, over 1,000 refugees arrived in Illinois since October. Many settle in or around Chicago, which has just five resettlement agencies to help them adjust to life in the U.S.
Private donors must provide most …show more content…
“They’re being cut off, slashed off from support through the government, and that’s a big problem. A really big problem.”
Underfunding valuable resources hurts the entire refugee population, but it especially affects older refugees, who may need more help adjusting to life in a strange country. Amy Dix, clinical supervisor at Heartland Health Outreach, explained that refugees are often plagued by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, major depression and generalized anxiety. For older refugees especially, these disorders make it difficult to focus on adapting to a new culture.
“People tend to isolate,” Dix said. “They’re dealing with all the intrusive thoughts, they’re worried and ruminating. They’re not really integrating into their new lives. They’re very focused on their children and on the …show more content…
They may not be physically able to travel to doctor’s appointments without assistance, or they may be unfamiliar with public transportation systems.
Communication is another major barrier for older refugees being treated for mental health problems, Dix said. If they do not speak the same language as a healthcare provider, it may be hard to convey the extent of their pain. Their physicians may not be knowledgeable about the culture or struggles the refugees faced prior to coming to the U.S.
“They want to talk about the past a lot. They’re homesick,” Dix said. “Talking about the past is like food. It’s something they really