Negative Emotional States Due to Deportation among Male Secondary School Students
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- Category: Vol. 81, September 2013
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Negative Emotional States Due to Deportation among Male Secondary School Students, MOHAMED M. ABULSAIL, OSSAMA A. MOSTAFA and AHMED A. MAHFOUZ
Abstract
Aim of Study: To assess the impact of deportation on the mental health status of Saudi secondary school male students.
Subjects and Methods: All deported secondary school male students (n=354) constituted the study group, while the comparative group comprised 278 non-deported secondary school male students. Study tools comprised a personal char-acteristics questionnaire and the Arabic version of the Depres-sion, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS).
Results: Compared with non-deported students, deported students had significantly higher prevalence rates for symptoms of depression (66.4% vs. 24.1%, p<0.001), anxiety (60.7% vs. 32.4%, p<0.001) and stress (50% vs. 26.6%, p<0.001). Some deported secondary school students (2.8%) had an injured relative. Loss of property affected 72.6% of students, while 12.1% of the students' families sustained loss of their main source of income. The great majority of students (98.9%) expressed their strong wish to return back home. Prevalence of depression was not significantly associated with injury of a relative or loss of source of family income. However, loss of property was the most significant incident associated with a higher prevalence of depression (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between prevalence of homesickness according to presence of depression attributed to deportation (99.2% compared with 98.7%, /0.714). Prevalence of anxiety was not significantly associated with injury of a relative. However, loss of property and loss of source of family income were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety (p<0.001 for each). Stress was not significantly associated with injury of a relative (p=0.521). Yet, it was significantly associated with loss of property (p<0.001) and loss of source of family income (p=0.002). However, there was no significant difference between stressed and non-stressed deported students regarding homesickness (p=0.315).
Recommendations: Special care is to be provided through properly developed mental health interventions addressing the needs of deported children. Planning and implementing a proper mental health program for the management of victims of deportation. Screening of all deportees should be repeated annually to identify long-term impact of deportation. Deported families should be well-compensated to minimize the impact of war-related losses. Their return back to their original homes should be considered, whenever the reasons for unrest and conflicts become completely resolved.