Author(s): Kyle D. KILLIAN, Anna M. AGATHANGELOU
https://doi.org/10.1080/08952833.2017.1404347
Abstract
Armed conflicts disrupt families worldwide. This study examines the adaptation process of Greek Cypriot refugee families who suffered the traumas of displacement and death of family members in 1974. Members of 30 refugee and 12 non-refugee families (N = 118) completed 10 self-report inventories measuring their resources, coping styles, well-being, and traumatic stress symptoms. Results indicate that the resources of social support, income, and adaptability, gender, and seeking support predicted adaptation to war trauma. Twenty-two percent of the refugee family sample and none of the non-refugee family sample could be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Of those diagnosed with PTSD, 94% were women. Families with a PTSD-afflicted member reported lower well-being and more support seeking behaviors. Implications for working with refugee families are discussed.
KEYWORDS: Refugee trauma, post-traumatic stress, social support, adaptation
Tags: Cyprus, Refugees, Families, Women, Armed conflict, Traumatic life events, PTSD, Social support, Coping strategies, Adaptation
Migration and Mental Health 