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I frequently see patients from Syrian refugee background in hospital settings and their health experiences are influenced by language, culture and trauma barrier.

In relation to Competency Standard 1.2 (Migrant and Refugee Women's Health Partnership, 2019), I can think of a patient who was afraid to talk about their medical history because of painful experiences in the past.

At first, I focuses on clinical evaluation, but I later discovered that my strategy ignored how loss and displacement affected their ability to participate in treatment.

This forced me to consider the way in which trust, culture and trauma influence medical communication. I was able to build rapport and alleviate patient fear by implementing a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive treatment into my practice.

Moving forward, I will make sure to integrate trauma-informed care into my practice by actively seeking patient's perspectives and involving family support whenever needed (Migrant and Refugee Women's Health Partnership, 2019) .

References :-

Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership. (2019). Culturally Responsive Clinical Practice: Working with People from Migrant and Refugee Backgrounds COMPETENCY STANDARDS FRAMEWORK FOR CLINICIANS. https://culturaldiversityhealth.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf

Tlozek, E., & Yazbeck, C. (2025, February 19). Australian women who lived under Islamic State speak from Syria for first time since the fall of the Assad regime. Abc.net.au; ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-02-20/australian-women-who-lived-under-islamic-state-come-home-syria/104953800?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web

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Middle East correspondent Eric Tlozek, Chérine Yazbeck and Haybar Othman

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Australian women who lived under Islamic State want to come home

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Australian women who lived in the Islamic State terror group’s so-called caliphate speak from detention camps in Syria for the first time following the collapse of the Assad regime, begging the federal government to bring them home before they become trapped in a new war that will make it even harder to get them and their children out.

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WHO defines social determinants of health as the conditions under which individuals are born, grow up, live, work, and age, including their access to resources, authority, and social support (World Health Organization, 2025).

SDOH difficulties faced by refugees, especially Syrians, include pre-migration trauma, poor English proficiency and housing insecurity(Taylor & Lamaro Haintz, 2018).

Syrians refugees in Australia had bad health outcomes due to social isolation, language barrier and stress(BMJ Public Health, 2025).

The health outcomes of this population is influenced by intermediary determinants (housing quality and healthcare access) and structural determinants (socioeconomic policies)making a web(Pan American Health Organization,2024). This make their ability to limit to recover and integrate as it is closely related to social isolation and poor health (Torlinska e al., 2020).

To sum up, treating SDOH in Syrian refugees in Australia require culturally sensitive therapies that address both local and global injustice which ensures fair access to social, financial and medical resources.

References :-

BMJ Public Health. (2025). Bmj.com. https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=usage&utm_term=usage&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20265969270&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8KrFBhDUARIsAMvIApaNbEE5radlInlW3fHbEj8foQd9Yw4lEjLZ36nDseozM5IkwaRzKSUaAhOEEALw_wcB

‌Pan American Health Organization. (2024). Social determinants of health - PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization. Www.paho.org. https://www.paho.org/en/topics/social-determinants-health

‌Taylor, J., & Lamaro Haintz, G. (2018). Influence of the social determinants of health on access to healthcare services among refugees in Australia. Australian Journal of Primary Health, 24(1), 14–28. https://doi.org/10.1071/py16147

‌Torlinska, J., Albani, V., & Brown, H. (2020). Financial hardship and health in a refugee population in Australia: A longitudinal study. Journal of Migration and Health, 1-2(100030). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2020.100030

World Health Organization. (2025). Social determinants of health. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health

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Common health concerns & treatment ( Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide )

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Common health concerns & treatment ( Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide )

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Syrian refugees deal with various health issues, including infections, chronic illnesses, and mental health disorders related to trauma. Providing treatment according to culture' equal access and overcoming language barriers are the main goal of national multicultural health priorities in order to enhance health outcomes(Australian Refugee Health» Primary Care for People of Refugee Backgrounds, n.d.).

These Guidelines states that the post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is linked to the fighting and migration that Syrian refugees have faced, is a serious health issue among them. PTSD can have a negative influence on functioning and general health.

The Guidelines propose evidence-based treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-informed care, and, if needed, pharmacological management. Building trust, providing individualized therapy sessions are key components. Engagement and adherence are improved by community resources and interpretation services(Australian Refugee Health» Primary Care for People of Refugee Backgrounds, n.d.).

This strategy guarantees comprehensive care that promotes healing. To enhance results, the Murdoch Children's Research Institute also prioritizes culturally appropriate mental health treatments for refugees(Murdoch Children's Research Institute,2017).

References:-

Australian Refugee Health» Primary Care for People of RefugeeBackgrounds(n.d.).https://refugeehealthguide.org.au

Murdoch Children's Research Institute. (2017). Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Mcri.edu.au. https://www.mcri.edu.au/

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The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide is an updated version of Promoting Refugee Health: A guide for doctors and other healthcare providers caring for people from refugee backgrounds (2012) and Caring for patients in general practice: a desktop guide (2012) and their previous editions. The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide is also available as a printed Desktop Guide. Contact your local FASSTT agency or refugee health service to access copies of the printed resource. See State and territory referrals.

This revised publication has been produced with funds from the Australian Government Department of Health.

The 2018 update of the Guide project was conducted by Foundation House in collaboration with general practitioners, refugee health nurses, practice nurses, paediatricians, infectious disease physicians and Primary Health Network staff. The project was informed by a national project advisory group and was coordinated by Samantha Furneaux. Further details about contributors.

The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide is part of a suite of resources to support GPs, nurses and other primary care providers to undertaking on arrival and ongoing care for people from refugee backgrounds and people seeking asylum.

A 2018 update of the Refugee Health Assessment Template supports doctors and nurses to complete refugee health assessments. The template was funded by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. It is available at: TBC

The ASID/RHeaNA Recommendations for comprehensive post-arrival health assessment for people from refugee-like backgrounds were written in 2016 with a separate authorship and process. Chapters of these recommendations have been included on the Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide website to assist with easy access to these clinical recommendations. This content is distinguishable on the website by the ASID/RHeaNA banner, and chapter authors are listed on each webpage. The ASID/RHeaNA Recommendations can be accessed in full as a pdf online, or a printed resource through the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases. This material may be subject to additional copyright restrictions:
Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of research or study, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this book may be reproduced by any process without written permission. Primary health-care providers are granted a non-exclusive licence to copy information for patient consultation. Direct enquiries to the Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases (ASID).
Full copyright and terms of use for the Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide.

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About the Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide

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The Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide is an updated version of Promoting Refugee Health: A guide for doctors and other healthcare providers caring for people from refugee backgrounds (2012) and Caring for patients in general practice: a desktop guide (2012) and their previous editions.

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Health belief or traditional medicine practiced by Syrian culture

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Health belief or traditional medicine practiced by Syrian culture

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The Syrian Culture have a tradition of using herbs and plants to cure diseases. It form the backbone of Syrians.

Health Belief: Traditional Medicine in Syria

Herbal medicines : In Syria, traditional medicine continue to play an important role in shaping health beliefs. They commonly use indigenous plants such as aloe to treat skin conditions and Honey and garlic are used to get relive from cough and boost general immunity(Khatib et al., 2021).

Cupping therapy(Hijama) : It is deeply rooted in syrian culture as it is mostly practice in Islamic tradition because it is considered an effective therapy to cure minor problems like headache to major problem like high blood pressure(Sakr,R.(n.d.)).

Spiritual healing : Spiritual healing has an important role in Syrian belief systems such as use of Zamzam water(a holy water from Mecca) that is commonly used for treating illness and protecting health(Sakr,R.(n.d.)).

References:-

Khatib, C., Nattouf, A., & Hasan Agha, M. I. (2021). Traditional medicines and their common uses in central region of Syria: Hama and Homs – an ethnomedicinal survey. Pharmaceutical Biology, 59(1), 778–788. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2021.1936078

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Sakr,R.(n.d.). Traditional Medicines in Syria knowledge, beliefs and experiences in Syria Trust for development. Retrieved from https://archive.unesco-ichcap.org/kor/ek/sub8/pdf_file/09/7.%20Traditional%20Medicine%20in%20Syria-Knowledge,%20Beliefs%20&%20Experiences.pdf