Syrian Refugees Blog by

Domain 1 - clinical expert reflection

35859462 — 2025-08-29 17:29:07 UTC

Domain One, Competency Standard Two, is significant for my chosen country, Syria. Standard two is crucial in understanding refugee experiences, such as distressing events, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), identifying how to adapt whilst evaluating, diagnosing, treating and providing further care to alter methods as needed and delivering trauma-informed care (Migrant and Refugee Women’s Health Partnership, 2019). When caring for refugees, acknowledging barriers such as health literacy, communication, trust and past traumas, these barriers may alter communication and care. I have developed my understanding of Syrians experiencing traumatic events. A 2019 study showed that out of 988 Syrian refugees, almost all had experienced a traumatic event, and three-quarters experienced three or more (Mahmood et al., 2019). Barriers in nursing language include the provision of an interpreter or visual aids for non-English speakers or people with hearing impairment. Reflection of cultural responsiveness is not just what everyone can hear and see, but how we make patients feel inclusivity, respect, and acceptance into an unfamiliar society.

Mahmood, H. N., Ibrahim, H., Goessmann, K., Ismail, A. A., & Neuner, F. (2019). Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among syrian refugees residing in the kurdistan region of iraq. Conflict and Health, 13(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-019-0238-5

migrant and 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/2023/04/Culturally-responsive-clinical-practice-Working-with-people-from-migrant-and-refugee-backgrounds-Jan2019.pdf

Mental health in Syrian refugees

35859462 — 2025-08-30 14:12:30 UTC

The common health issue that I have chosen, which may be presented on arrival in Australia by Syrian refugees, is mental health, relating to Syrian refugees, as refugees who have fled Syria may have been subjected to torture, suffering as a result of the Syrian civil war, making Syrian refugees susceptible to mental illnesses. The COVID-19 pandemic, movement restrictions and lockdowns had a detrimental effect on Syrians. In Syria, 75% of Syrians with mental health illnesses avoided or did not receive care, and the pandemic worsened mental illness (International Medical Corps, 2020). I have found the optimal treatment for mental health in Syrian refugees is culturally adaptive cognitive behavioural therapy (CA-CBT). Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a treatment for mental health issues like anxiety disorders, highly data-driven and can be used alongside medication-based interventions (Durand et al., 2022). CA-CBT is unique compared to other psychological treatments given one’s challenges in childhood experiences, values, unhelpful assumptions, triggers, cognitive distortions and presenting problems (Rathod et al., 2019).

Durand, C., Dubois, M.-F., Provencher, M. D., Norton, P. J., & Roberge, P. (2022). Benzodiazepines and group transdiagnostic cognitive-behaviour therapy for anxiety disorders: A mixed methods study. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement, 56(1). https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000340

International Medical corps. (2020, October 14). Syria: WHO-supported mobile teams deliver mental health care in syria. Www.who.int. https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/syria-who-supported-mobile-teams-deliver-mental-health-care-in-syria

Rathod, S., Phiri, P., & Naeem, F. (2019). An evidence-based framework to culturally adapt cognitive behaviour therapy. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 12(12). https://doi.org/10.1017/s1754470x18000247

Traditional Arabic Medicine in Syia

35859462 — 2025-08-31 14:12:01 UTC

Traditional Arabic Medicine (TAM) is ingrained in Syrian culture. TAM incorporates herbal remedies, spiritual practices and generational wisdom. TAM is used to heal various conditions, including respiratory, gastrointestinal, and dermatological conditions, using hundreds of native plant species (Alachkar et al., 2011a). Syria is recognised for its richness of plant species and medicinal properties, with more than 3500 species, hundreds of which can have medicinal and therapeutic significance (Alachkar et al., 2011b). Allium sativa, in the Liliaceae family, is one of the most common plant families for traditional medicine in Syria. The fresh bulb from the plant is used for hypertension, digestive tract disease, urinary tract infection and many more conditions. The oil from the bulb can also be utilised for various treatments (Khatib et al., 2021). Syrian health care systems have been greatly affected by the ongoing war and the Assad dictatorship, resulting in limited or no access to basic health care (Shibani & Hawat, 2025). The minimal access to doctors, hospitals, and basic health care may be why TAM is still so prevalent in Syria.

Alachkar, A., Jaddouh, A., Elsheikh, M. S., Bilia, A. R., & Vincieri, F. F. (2011a). Traditional Medicine in Syria: Folk Medicine in Aleppo Governorate. Natural Product Communications, 6(1), 1934578X1100600. https://doi.org/10.1177/1934578x1100600119

Alachkar, A., Jaddouh, A., Elsheikh, M. S., Bilia, A. R., & Vincieri, F. F. (2011b). Traditional medicine in syria: Folk medicine in aleppo governorate. Natural Product Communications, 6(1), 79–84. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21366051/

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

Shibani, M., & Hawat, A. (2025). From exile to aid: Syria’s doctors return. The Lancet, 405(10484), 1049–1050. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(25)00321-6

35859462 — 2025-08-31 18:55:09 UTC

Australian Institute Of Health And Welfare. (2012). Department of health | part II: Non-discrimination and social inclusion. Www1.Health.gov.au. https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/pub-sqps-rights-toc~pub-sqps-rights-2

Lerias, D., Ziaian, T., Arthur, N., Augoustinos, M., Pir, T., & Miller, E. (2025). The mental health of refugee and migrant youth after settlement: Outcomes of a multinational study. Community Mental Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-025-01474-9

World Health Organization. (2025). Social determinants of health. World Health Organization . https://www.who.int/health-topics/social-determinants-of-health#tab=tab_1

Social Inclusion and non-discrimination of Syrian refugees

35859462 — 2025-09-01 01:05:28 UTC