The long-term impact of torture on the mental health of war-wounded refugees: findings and implications for nursing programmes.

Today, nurses from many disciplines are expected to provide nursing care to refugees severely traumatized in war and conflict. The general aim of this study was to explore the long-term impact of torture on the mental health of war-wounded refugees. The study group consisted of 22 tortured and 22 nontortured male refugees who had been injured in war.

The mental health of war-wounded refugees: an 8-year follow-up.

The complex nature of recent wars and armed conflicts has forced many war-injured persons into exile. To investigate their long-term mental health, three instruments for assessing mental health (HSCL-25, PTSS-10, and a Well-Being scale) were presented to 44 war-wounded refugees from nine different countries 8 years after arrival in Sweden. The prevalence of psychiatric symptoms was high and corresponds to findings in previous studies of refugee patient populations.