CULTURAL-BIAS IN SUICIDAL-BEHAVIOR AMONG REFUGEES WITH POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER

The study was primarily designed to assess the prevalence of suicidal behaviour among asylum applicants diagnosed as having post-traumatic s tress disorder (PTSD) and the impact of cultural bias factors (such as religion and nationality) in suicidal dynamics. The traumatic stresso rs reported in the study included being subjected to or forced to witn ess war atrocities, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, other's su icide, and summary or mock executions. The study included 64 PTSD pati ents who were examined as part of a diagnostic and suicidal risk asses sment after referral. Suicide risk assessments were assisted with scor es of the SAD PERSONS Scale. Most PTSD patients reported suicidal beha viour. Nearly half of the refugees with PSTD diagnoses had a history o f suicide attempts. Religious proscription or nationality was not foun d to be a significant deterrent of suicidal behaviour, and no differen ces between the various religious groups were established on this poin t. Another noteworthy finding in the present study was that suicidal b ehaviour did not differ significantly between asylum applicants and re fugees granted residence permits. Thus, the notion that asylum applica nts might manifest a higher frequency of suicidal behaviour, possibly due to the threat of imminent expulsion from the country, derived no s upport from our findings. The results ratified our previous findings, which suggested that suicidal behaviour is more closely related to PTS D trauma diathesis and clinical features than to cultural bias.