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Group Therapy Program for Female Sudanese Refugee’s

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Submitted By Esterka1984
Words 4608
Pages 19
Introduction
According to Schweitzer et al (2007) ‘In the 2002-03 program year, Australia granted a total of 12 525 visas under its Humanitarian Program ( Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, 2003). In keeping with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) guidelines, priority was given to the resettlement of people from Africa, with this group comprising 47% of all humanitarian entrants (Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, 2003). Humanitarian immigrants present higher levels of stress and socialisation problems when compared to other migrant entrants (MacLennan, 1997). A significant portion of humanitarian entrants have ran from circumstances involving great violence and exhibit trauma, economic turmoil, loss of family and social networks, and significant breaks from education or work (Kline &Mone, 2003).

Refugees tend to have experienced war and famine (Adams et al, 2004) and these experiences have led them to experience substantially trauma, involving physical and mental torture, sexual abuse, and other distressing conditions (Neuner et al, 2004). According to Farwell (2004), experiencing trauma during war and economic troubles leads to their mental turmoil. Experiencing and witnessing violence is connected to an array of various deliberating psychological effects such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder (Silove, 2001). Psychological distress related to psychosomatic disorders, grief and questioning the meaning of life areexhibited to a lesser extend as a result of such experiences (Silove, 1999., Steel, 1991).

Refugees who had their life threatened tend to experience post traumatic stress disorder (Momartin et al, 2004) and refuges who had experienced four or more traumatic circumstances had a significantly higher rate of anxiety, depression,

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