dc.description.abstract | By the end of 2022, 108 million people worldwide were forced to leave
their home countries due to war, exile, or other threats to their safety. In
transit, refugees face many stressful and traumatic experiences and
travel in difficult conditions, which puts them at risk of developing
psychological difficulties. Therefore, the aim of this study is to gain an
insight into psychological difficulties, but also into indicators of the
positive psychological functioning of the refugees; as well as comparison
with the results obtained in previous years so as to be able to understand
trends, and provide evidence-based guidelines for the improvement of
policies and practices for the protection of refugee mental health. The
research results showed that 87% of refugees were identified as
psychologically vulnerable, whereof 61% were highly vulnerable,
meaning that they require some sort of mental health and psychosocial
support (MHPSS) services. Also, 67% of refugees were under acute
distress, meaning they require intervention in a crisis or psychological
first aid, after which it would be important to continue monitoring their
condition and refer them to adequate interventions. Additionally, 39% of
respondents were identified as depressed, 16% as anxious, and 21% had
the symptoms of severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These
data show an increase in psychological vulnerability and depression
compared to the previous year, with a slight decrease in anxiety and
PTSD, as well as stagnation in the frequency of persons under acute
distress. People who had experienced pushback stood out as particularly
psychologically vulnerable, as well as refugees who have just crossed the
border and entered Serbia, those who plan to continue their journey to
the destination country, and younger refugees. Nevertheless, the results
show relative preservation of positive psychological functioning
indicators – e.g. 85% of refugees reported that they are optimistic about
the future, 83% believe they can achieve great things in life, and
approximately half of them have preserved coping capacities. Based on
these results, we gave evidence-based recommendations for the
improvement of policies and practices for refugee mental health
protection. | sr |