Psychology Commons^™

Unemployment In Iraqi Refugees: The Interaction Of Pre And Post-Displacement Trauma, A. Michelle Wright, Abir Dhalimi, Mark A. Lumley, Hikmet Jamil, Nnamdi Pole, Judith E. Arnetz, Bengt B. Arnetz

Psychology: Faculty Publications

Previous refugee research has been unable to link pre-displacement trauma with unemployment in the host country. The current study assessed the role of pre-displacement trauma, post-displacement trauma, and the interaction of both trauma types to prospectively examine unemployment in a random sample of newly-arrived Iraqi refugees. Participants (N = 286) were interviewed three times over the first two years post-arrival. Refugees were assessed for pre-displacement trauma exposure, post-displacement trauma exposure, a history of unemployment in the country of origin and host country, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Analyses found that neither pre-displacement nor post-displacement trauma independently …