HEALTH-PROBLEMS OF REFUGEES IN THE NETHERLANDS

Research was carried out on the medical, i.e, somatic and mental, and social complaints of refugees in The Netherlands, This research consis ted of a literature study and a retrospective and prospective, or moss sectional patient study. The most important assumption which formed t he base of the study was: refugees who underwent torture present the s ame medical acid social complaints as refugees who were not tortured b ut underwent other forms of organized violence, For the cross-sectiona l study 156 refugees fron the Middle East were interviewed. Not only w as investigated whether the nature and extent of organized violence in fluenced the presentation of the refugees' medical and social complain ts, but also whether other characteristics such as legal status and le ngth of star in The Netherlands were related with the refugees' medica l and social complaints, The same data were sought for in literature, The results confirm the main assumption, as well as show that factors other than the traumatic experiences in the country of origin are rela ted with the health problems of refugees, Although many studies in lit erature demonstrated that a relatively high percentage of refugees pre sent a Post traumatic stress disorder (DSM-III-R) these findings could not be confirmed, It is concluded that refugees undergo a sequence of traumatic experiences and stress before, during and after their fligh t into exile, Various pre- and post migration factors are responsible for the presentation of aspecific physical and mental complaints and s ocial problems of refugees.