Mental health promotion in a refugee camp

Mental health promotion in a refugee camp
A health worker could do much to promote mental health in a
refugee camp.
• Hand over responsibilities. One of the most disturbing experiences of being a refugee is the sense
of helplessness. From being responsible and able to make decisions in response to their needs,
refugees find themselves entirely dependent on relief workers and that their circumstances are beyond their control. Handing back responsibilities means assigning specific tasks to individuals.
Identify the strengths of each individual and then assign appropriate tasks.
• Organise group activities. Refugees can work in a variety of group activities such as helping to prepare food and caring for sick people. Support groups can help identify and solve common
problems. Children should be given an opportunity to restore some semblance of normal life by going to classes and playing in groups.
• Counsel the individual. Some refugees may need specific help, for example a woman who has lost all her children or was violently raped. Counselling means listening to people’s experiences, meeting them regularly, providing simple practical help and advice, and problem-solving.
• Provide medicines. Sometimes a person may be found to be very depressed. Using antidepressant medicines may be helpful in these situations. At other times, a person may be behaving in a
disturbed manner. Appropriate use of sleeping medicines or tranquillisers for short periods may help in calming the person .