Mental health care of refugees

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Sangjan Rungruangkonkit

University of Washington, USA

: Int J Ment Health Psychiatry

Abstract

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The global refugee crisis requires immediate action in terms of political, financial and healthcare assistance. Refugees are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and anxiety. Mental health practitioners have to understand the issues that the refugees face and how to provide mental health care to the refugees. The needs of the individual refugees can be very different, depending on the re-settlement period, cultural background and life experiences on their way to re-settlement. Mental health treatment generally uses psychopharmacology, therapy, or a combination thereof. The new paradigm shift includes positive mental health, mental health promotion and prevention. Utilizing and understanding resiliency is one example of this approach. The presenter will share her study, “Understanding the Lived Experiences of the Depressed Mien Refugees after 10 Years Resettlement in the United States” and her experiences providing mental health services in a clinic and a major trauma center in Seattle, WA, USA.

Biography

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Sangjan Rungruangkonkit completed her PhD at the University of Washington. She is a Clinical Faculty in Psychosocial and Community Health Nursing, School of Nursing, UW and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. She has over 20 years’ experience providing mental health treatment to refugees and immigrants at Asian Counseling and Referral Service (ACRS) clinic and at the Psychiatric Emergency Room at Harborview Medical Center (the Level 1 trauma center covered Washington, Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Montana states). Her research interest is in the mental health of refugees and immigrants and global health.

Email: sangjanr@hotmail.com