Syrian Culture by

Domain 1 : Clinical Expert

yolandanainggolan1 — 2025-08-28 06:43:57 UTC

After analysing the exposure of traumatic war conflicts and refugee displacements of Syrian refugees, I felt concerned about the numerous of them who are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety disorders. Study revealed that the estimation of long-term mental health disorder of Syrian refugees revealed around 4.4% and 86% for PTSD, depression contributed around 2.3% and 80% and 20.3% and 88% for anxiety (Yilmaz et al., 2024). As a result, I realise the importance of adjusting my trauma-informed care approach with 1.2 standard of domain 1: Clinical expert competency and clients’ experiences by providing safe environment, continual support to build trust so that patients are more encouraged to open up and vulnerable without fear of being judged about their past traumas and feelings (Migrant & Refugee Women’s Health Partnership, 2019; Yadav et al., 2024). For me, working collaboratively with clients and other multidisciplinary teams will also be a good strategy to meet the various aspects of patients’ needs in order to promote advanced mental and emotional well-being and obtain better results.

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

Yadav, G., McNamara, S., & Gunturu, S. (2024). Trauma-informed therapy. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK604200/

Yilmaz, E., Tamam, L., & Cengisiz, C. (2024). Post-traumatic stress disorder among long-term resettled Syrian refugees in Turkey: A comprehensive analysis of pre- and post-migratory factors. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1352288. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1352288

Social inclusion and Non-discrimination of Syrian Refugees in Australia

yolandanainggolan1 — 2025-08-28 07:06:33 UTC

For Syrian refugees resettled in Australia due to conflict, social inclusion and non-discrimination are vital for social determinants of health that promote physical and mental health, as well as supporting equity (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2024). An equitable environment promotes access to health, education, and employment services, thereby improving not only refugees’ well-being but also their psychological and physical conditions, as a result of feeling valued in the new community. Furthermore, access to appropriate healthcare facilitates the use of preventive health screening assessments to identify and reduce the risk of chronic diseases, enabling referrals to suitable services (State of Queensland [Queensland Health], 2022). On the contrary, research shows that about 85% of refugees who have experienced discrimination believe it has had a moderately negative impact on their health and significantly worsened mental health, which has led to a reduction in self-confidence and bad resettlement experiences (Ziersch & Walsh, 2024). Therefore, it is crucial to promote social inclusion and non-discrimination for Syrian refugees, focusing on their strengths to enhance meaningful participation and provide opportunities for personal development within the community.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2024). Social determinants of health. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/social-determinants-of-health

State of Queensland (Queensland Health). (2022). Refugee health and wellbeing: Policy and action plan 2022–2027. Queensland Health, in partnership with the Refugee Health Network Queensland. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0033/1150482/refugee-health-and-wellbeing-policy-action-plan-2022-2027.pdf

Ziersch, A., & Walsh, M. (2024, March). Submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the Commissioner for Children and Young People’s inquiry into support for children and young people exposed to migration-related trauma. Flinders University, Migrant and Refugee Public Health Research Group. https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Parliament/commit.nsf/luInquiryPublicSubmissions/DC96894B863601A648258B1700219591/$file/P00021NoCover_Redacted.pdf

Syrian Health issues and Treatments

yolandanainggolan1 — 2025-08-28 07:56:57 UTC

Please review this video which showcases the Syrian health issues and treatments.

Chaves, N., & Paxton, G. (n.d.). Anaemia, Iron Deficiency, and Other Blood Conditions. Australian Refugee Health Practice Guide. https://refugeehealthguide.org.au/anaemia-iron-deficiency-and-other-blood-conditions/

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2019). Syria Crisis Humanitarian and Resilience Package: Evaluation report. https://www.dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/Pages/syria-crisis-humanitarian-resilience-package-evaluation-report

Department of Home Affairs. (2021). Australian humanitarian program 2020–21. https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/research-and-stats/files/australia-offshore-humanitarian-program-2020-21.pdf

Maldari, T., Elsley, N., & Abdul Rahim, R. (2019). The health status of newly arrived Syrian refugees at the Refugee Health Service, South Australia, 2016. Australian Journal of General Practice, 48(7), 480–486. https://doi.org/10.31128/AJGP-09-18-4696

Syrian Religious beliefs and Traditional medicine

yolandanainggolan1 — 2025-08-28 08:06:33 UTC

Syrians' mindsets are influenced by religious beliefs and traditional medicine, which significantly influence their decisions to seek proper treatments. Mental illnesses are often associated with supernatural forces such as black magic ("Sehr"), the evil eye ("Hasad"), and jinn possession, which are believed to be curable through prayers and Quranic recitation ("Ruqya") for protection against spiritual harm (Al Laham et al., 2020). In addition, Syrians also utilise natural resources, including medicinal plants that grow on mountains near the Mediterranean Sea (Khatib et al., 2021). This is due to the abundant availability of medicinal plants and economic constraints, which make medicinal plants an alternative to more expensive chemical drugs (Khatib et al., 2021). Achillea santolina L. (Kaisoom) is one example, used as a leaf infusion to treat diarrhoea, fever, loss of appetite, and digestive disorders (Khatib et al., 2021). In addition, there are 76 other medicinal plant species with various uses for treating physical ailments (Khatib et al., 2021). Therefore, studying the background factors influencing the Syrian population, such as health traditions and practices, is crucial for implementing a better healthcare plan going forward.

Al Laham, D., Ali, E., Mousally, K., Nahas, N., Alameddine, A., & Venables, E. (2020). Perceptions and Health-Seeking Behaviour for Mental Illness Among Syrian Refugees and Lebanese Community Members in Wadi Khaled, North Lebanon: A Qualitative Study. Community Mental Health Journal, 56(5), 875–884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-020-00551-5

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), 776–786. https://doi.org/10.1080/13880209.2021.1936078

Welcome to Syrian Refugees Blog by Yolanda Putri (35696982)

yolandanainggolan1 — 2025-08-28 08:10:56 UTC

yolandanainggolan1 — 2025-08-30 09:14:25 UTC