Aspects of psychosomatics and psychotraumatology in refugees Challenges for internal medicine

Many people seek protection from war and violence in Germany. Flight and displacement often have an impact on mental health. The situation in the country of arrival, separation, grief and loss, and worries about the future can be additional burdens. The barriers to adequate healthcare are high, a visit to the doctor for somatoform complaints is sometimes less alien than talking about fears and hopelessness. The medical internistic encounter thus plays an important key role in recognizing and adequately assessing psychological symptoms without pathologizing. A brief overview of innovations in the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 11th edition (ICD-11) on stress-related disorders aims to facilitate the assignment. Information on screening, trauma-informed interviewing and interpreter-assisted communication complement the recommendations of the current guidelines.