Spotlight on Refugee Health
Many people have fled to Sweden from their homelands in recent years. How have these refugees been affected physically and emotionally by such trauma? Researchers at Karolinska Institutet are investigating these questions to learn more about the impact of flight.
Photo: FlickrMental recovery is being counteracted
Creating a life based on security, participation and belonging can give newly arrived people the environment they need to heal the mental wounds that many carry with them when they come to Sweden. But Sweden’s new refugee policy risks resulting in the opposite, researchers warn.
Photo: Getty imagesThe dream of boundless empathy
People flee across oceans and nations in the hope of a better life. But can we take in their suffering? Researchers explain why it may not be self-evident to us to empathise with others.
Photo: iStockMigration during pregnancy increases the risk of autism
The risk of being affected by autism appears to increase for children who come to Sweden in their mother's womb. Women who were pregnant when immigrating are almost twice as likely to have a child with autism. These are the results of a new study from Karolinska Institutet.
Photo: Mattias Ahlm"The life my parents had built up was demolished"
Negra Efendics parents feelings of gratitude were mixed with difficulties accepting that all the life they’d built up was demolished and would never come back.
Photo: Mattias Ahlm“I fled across the Mediterranean eight times”
Walid Ek came to Sweden from Syria in 2014 after being smuggled in a truck. His flight was marked by robbery, imprisonment and strong concern for his family.
Photo: PixabayAI may speed up cultural adaptation of psychological treatment for migrants
Texts for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) that were culturally adapted using AI were perceived as equally relevant and acceptable as texts adapted by a psychologist, a new study shows. The findings suggest that AI could make evidence-based psychological treatments more accessible to refugees and migrants.
Photo: BildmakarnaPassivity can increase the risk of diabetes
Per Wändell's research shows that the process of changing country can also lead to physical ill-health. For example, there appears to be an increase in the risk of diabetes, at least for women.
Photo: Public Domain CC0Increased suicide risk among unaccompanied refugee minors
In a report, researchers at KI have concluded that the risk of suicide among unaccompanied refugee minors and young adults in 2017 was nine times higher than the equivalent figure for the same age group in the Swedish population.
Photo: Getty Images.Unequal care and social isolation a threat to refugee health
A new doctoral thesis from Karolinska Institutet shows how unequal care and shrinking social networks threaten refugees’ health. The research, based on interviews and surveys with asylum seekers, reveals major gaps in support.