Table 1 Prevalence of PTSD, depression and anxiety in population-based studies on refugees living in a Western country

[13]

4%

3%

5%

CIDI

1161 Vietnamese refugees living on average 11 years in Australia

[39, 40]

4% (and 9% just after arrival)

18%

2%

criteria from the DSM- Third Edition (PTSD) and Present State Examination (depression and anxiety)

145 Vietnamese quota refugees interviewed 3 years after resettlement in Norway

[10, 41, 42]

11%

4%

criteria from the DSM-Revised Third Edition

86 Iranian and 70 Turkish asylum seekers (51%) and refugees living in reception centres (62%) in the Netherlands (70% less than 1 year)

[43]

12%

Post-traumatic stress section of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule

223 Cambodian refugees living 3 months to 10 years in New Zealand

[24]

15%

HTQ

240 refugees, predominantly from former Yugoslavia, interviewed on average 10 months and 3 years after resettlement in Norway

[44]

18–33%

21%

modified version of the Post-traumatic Symptom Scale (PTSD) and a questionnaire (depression)

206 refugees from Bosnia-Hercegovina living in an asylum centre in Sweden

[8]

22%

HTQ

157 refugees from Kosovo living on average 2 years in Canada

[27]

32%

63%

36%

HTQ (PTSD) en HSCL-25 (depression and anxiety)

54 Somalian asylum seekers (76%) and refugees living in reception centres (65% less than 6 months) in the Netherlands

[45]

35%

57%

CIDI

51 Afghan refugees living on average 4 years in the Netherlands

[25]

35%

33%

23%

CIDI (PTSD) and HSCL-25 (depression and anxiety)

40 asylum seekers from 21 countries living on average 3 years in Australia

[32]

37%

CAPS

86 Iraqi and Kurdish refugees recently resettled in Sweden

[12]

45%

51%

Diagnostic Interview for Children and Adolescents-revised (PTSD) and National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule (depression)

124 Cambodian refugees living on average 8 years in the United States

[46]

50%

Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-Fourth Edition

40 refugees from former Yugoslavia living on average 3.5 years in a refugee camp in Italy

[47]

61%

PDS

129 Kosovar refugees studied immediately upon resettlement in the United States

[48]

63%

CAPS

126 Bosnian refugees with a permanent residency status living for over 3 years (92%) in Australia

[49]

65%

44%

34%

PDS (PTSD) and Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory

842 refugees from Kosovo living in reception centres in the United Kingdom

[26]

86%

88%

80%

PTSD Checklist based on criteria from the DSM-Revised Third Edition and HSCL-25 (depression and anxiety)

50 Cambodian refugees living on average 5 years in the United States

[50]

70%

PDS

41 Bosnian refugees living in the United States

[51]

6% (just after arrival) – 2% (10 years after arrival)

symptom inventory

608 Southeast Asian refugees living in Canada

[52]

25%

25%

HSCL

180 Somali refugees (96%) and asylum seekers living on average 8 years in the United Kingdom

[28]

29%

15%

HSCL-25

129 Indochinese refugees living in New Zealand