Post-traumatic stress among elderly Syrian refugees

The experience of being a refugee, compounded with aging and mental health issues, constitute an exceptional situation for individuals. This study attempts to assess post-traumatic stress among elderly Syrian refugees living in Egypt. Harvard Trauma Questionnaire Part IV was administered on (47) elderly Syrian refugees (>60 years old) who are living in Egypt due to the recent conflicts in Syria.
The results suggest that all subjects suffer from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ranging from average in (89.4%) and high in (10.6%). No significant differences were found based on gender, marital status, period of stay in the country of refuge or family life cycle. The study recommends employing evidence-based practice (EBP) with Syrian refugees suffering from PTSD, as growing evidence has emerged suggesting EBP is effective in treating PTSD.