Mental Health Screening in a Refugee Population: A Program Report

Over the past 10 years the United States has resettled an average of 106,500 refugees annually (U.S. Committee for Refugees: Refugee Rep 1999; 20(12):1–12), relocating them to various cities across the country. Upon arrival, some states offer refugees physical health screening, specifically for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, intestinal parasites and Hepatitis B, and for general preexisting medical problems. Unfortunately, the same attention is rarely given to potential mental health needs. Research has shown that refugees are at greater risk for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress syndrome than the general U.S. population, yet they are not routinely screened. The purpose of this paper is to describe the addition of an innovative program for mental health screening in a refugee population. The current study found that mental health screening was more effective when done in a home visit situation. A 23.8% rate of depression was found amongst those refugees screened.