Iraqi War Refugees: Post-Traumatic Stress

This is unprecedented news and much needed research study. Except for many veterans, mostly of the brothers and sisters of our conflict in Vietnam, and some of the civilian professionals and advocates through these past decades, it is rare, if at all, that not only this country but any other takes into consideration those invaded and occupied especially the mental stress of living within or being forced into a refugee status for years or forever!

$2.6 million US-backed study at Wayne State targets trauma among Iraqi war refugees

July 4, 2010 The U.S. is funding a $2.6 million study of post-traumatic stress among Iraqi war refugees in the Detroit area.

Wayne State University medical school researcher Dr. Bengt Arnetz heads the five-year study, funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health. Continued

Dr. Arnetz secures $2.6 million NIH grant to investigate stress resiliency of Iraqi refugees

July 1, 2010 A Wayne State University School of Medicine researcher will conduct one of the largest studies ever on stress resiliency and the social programs designed to ease post-traumatic stress disorder among Iraqi war refugees.

Using a five-year, $2,641,244 grant from the National Institute of Mental Health of the National Institutes of Health, Bengt Arnetz, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., will track Iraqi refugees in metropolitan Detroit who have been exposed to war in their home country to determine the effect of post-migration factors such as employment, language classes, and mental and social health services in mitigating stress and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Dr. Arnetz, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health Sciences and director of the Division of Occupational and Environmental Health, said he believes this will be the largest controlled study to date that investigates stress resiliency and risk factors in Iraqi refugees who have experienced war as noncombatants. It is also the first study ever of refugees in which there will be a mechanism to study a random sample of immigrants at the time they arrive in their host country. Continued