AUTHOR=Ritsema Haley , Armstrong-Hough Mari 

TITLE=Associations among past trauma, post-displacement stressors, and mental health outcomes in Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: A secondary cross-sectional analysis

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1048649

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.1048649

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Objective: The Rohingya endured intense trauma in Myanmar and continue to experience trauma related to displacement in Bangladesh. We aimed to evaluate the association of post-displacement stressors with mental health outcomes, adjusting for previously experienced trauma, in the Rohingya refugee population in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. 

Methods: We analyzed data from the Cox’s Bazar Panel Survey, a cross sectional survey consisting of 5,020 household interviews and 9,386 individual interviews completed in 2019. Using logistic regression, we tested the association between post-displacement stressors such as current exposure to crime and conflict and two mental health outcomes: depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In adjusted analyses, we controlled for past trauma, employment status, receiving an income, food security, and access to healthcare and stratified by gender.

Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 30.0% (n=1,357) and PTSD 4.9% (n=218). Most (87.1%, n=3,938) reported experiencing at least one traumatic event. Multiple post-displacement stressors, such as current exposure to crime and conflict (for men: OR=2.23, 95% CI=1.52-3.28, p<0.001; for women: OR=1.92, 95% CI=1.44-2.56, p<0.001), were associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms in multivariable models. Trauma (OR=4.98, 95% CI=2.20-11.31, p<0.001) was associated with increased odds of PTSD. Living in a household that received income was associated with decreased odds of PTSD (OR=0.74, 95% CI=0.55-1.00, p=0.05). 

Conclusion: Prevalence of depressive symptoms was high among Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar. Adjusting for past trauma and other risk factors, exposure to post-displacement stressors was associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms. There is a need to address social determinants of health that continue to shape mental health post-displacement and increase mental healthcare access for displaced Rohingya.