Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jul 13;31(3):493-498.
doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckab037.

Iranian and Iraqi torture survivors in Finland and Sweden: findings from two population-based studies

Ferdinand Garoff  1   2 , Petter Tinghög  3   4 , Jaana Suvisaari  2 , Eero Lilja  2 , Anu E Castaneda  1   2
Affiliations

Iranian and Iraqi torture survivors in Finland and Sweden: findings from two population-based studies

Ferdinand Garoff et al. Eur J Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Most refugees and other forced migrants have experienced potentially traumatic events (PTEs). Torture and other traumatic experiences, as well as various daily stressors, impact the mental health and psychosocial well-being of war-affected populations.

Methods: The study includes two population-based samples of Iranian and Iraqi men living in Finland and Sweden. The Finnish Migrant Health and Well-being Study (Maamu) was conducted in 2010-2012. The Linköping study was conducted in Sweden in 2005. In both samples, health and well-being measures, social and economic outcomes as well as health service utilization were reported.

Results: The final sample for analysis consisted of two groups of males of Iranian or Iraqi origin: 278 residents in Finland and 267 residents in Sweden. Both groups were subdivided according to the reported PTEs: Torture survivors; Other PTEs; No PTEs. Migrants that reported PTEs, torture survivors in particular, had significantly poorer social and health outcomes. Torture survivors also reported lower trust and confidence in authorities and public service providers, as well as more loneliness, social isolation and experiences of discrimination.

Conclusions: Torture and other PTEs prevalent in refugee and migrant populations create a wide-ranging and long-term impact in terms of increased risk of various types of adverse social and health conditions. Early identification through systematic and effective screening should be the first step in guiding migrants and refugees suffering from experiences of torture and other PTEs to flexible, multidisciplinary services.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Quiroga J, Jaranson J.. Torture. In: Reyes G, Elhai JD, editors. The Encyclopedia of Psychological Trauma. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2008: 654–7.
    1. Tinghög P, Malm A, Arwidson C, et al. Prevalence of mental ill health, traumas and postmigration stress among refugees from Syria resettled in Sweden after 2011: a population-based survey. BMJ Open 2017;7:e018899. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Members Centers of the National Consortium of Torture Treatment Programs (NCTTP). Descriptive, inferential, functional outcome data on 9,025 torture survivors over six years in the United States. Torture 2015;2:34–60. - PubMed
    1. Loutan L. Health of refugees. Impact of trauma and torture on asylum-seekers. The European Journal of Public Health 1999;9:93–6.
    1. Sigvardsdotter E, Vaez M, Rydholm HA, Saboonchi F.. Prevalence of torture and other warrelated traumatic events in forced migrants: a systematic review. J Rehabil Tort Victim Prev Torture 2016;26:41–73. - PubMed

Publication types