Displaced communities are at increased risk of poor mental health with limited resources for treatment. Self-compassion moderates the impacts of stressors on mental health in high-income country general population samples, but its impact has not been described among people who have experienced displacement and associated trauma. The aim of this study was to characterize the associations between self-compassion, mental health, and resilience in a sample of displaced Syrian adults living in Jordan. This is a cross-sectional study using four validated survey tools measuring self-compassion, resilience, mental health, and traumatic exposure. Syrian adults who presented to four different community organizations serving refugees within Amman, Jordan were invited to participate. A total of 272 displaced Syrians were included in the final analysis. A majority of those surveyed were positive for emotional distress (84.6%), depression (85.7%), and anxiety (76.5%). In univariate analysis there was a significant lower risk of emotional distress, depression, and anxiety, with both higher resilience and self-compassion. However, in the multivariate model only self-compassion remained significantly associated with less emotional distress, depression, and anxiety, independent of resilience and other covariates. Female gender, poor financial stability, and high levels of traumatic exposure were also identified as persistent predictors of mental health morbidity. The findings of this study suggest that self-compassion is associated with less distress, depression, and anxiety in displaced individuals; suggesting it might be protective against poor mental health. Self-compassion is a modifiable factor that can be utilized as a tool by healthcare professionals and communities caring for refugees to promote positive mental health outcomes.

This study of 52 predominantly lower income Jordanian and Syrian families with young children (31 girls; M_age  = 53.37 months, SD = 3.53) in Jordan began in 2019, before the pandemic. Families were followed to explore stress physiology, family functioning, and mental health over the first 9 months of the pandemic. Mothers reported less adaptive coping and more negative changes to family life in June 2020 when their children had poorer behavioral self-regulation and more behavior problems, and when families had lower income, in 2019. More negative changes to family life predicted greater hair cortisol concentrations in children in June 2020, and more negative changes and less adaptive coping predicted worse child and mother psychosocial adjustment in December 2020.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidence is revealing disparities in cognitive function and heightened dementia risk among refugees, yet research in this area remains scant. Despite bearing most of the worlds refugee burden, limited-resource countries like Jordan are facing challenges when dealing with refugee health. There is a lack of research on the attitudes toward dementia and the cognitive healthcare gaps among refugees in Jordan. METHODS: 32 older (≥ 55 years) Syrian refugees resettled in Jordan were recruited through a local community-based organization and interviewed in four focus groups (2 female and 2 male groups). Interviews were transcribed and translated, then coded using inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Mean age of the sample was 60.1 years and 53.1% were female. Only 34.4% rated their memory as good or excellent. Themes were organized using the socioecological model: 1) At the individual level, participants believed high levels of stress, including low socioeconomic status, poor health, and traumatic history from their refugee experience increased their dementia risk. 2) Interpersonally, there is a fear of dementia due to the possible impact and burden on loved ones, particularly with the stigma surrounding dementia. 3) At the community level, participants noted that resettlement in Jordan - with a shared language, religion, and culture - offered protective effects due to facilitated access to social connection, information, and mental health self-care. 4) At the institution and policy level, participants believed older refugees faced restrictive policies for economic aid, healthcare, and employment, presenting a significant barrier to healthy aging. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study are the first to examine the attitudes of Syrian refugees in Jordan toward dementia and cognitive aging. These results could provide essential data inclusive of refugees as Jordan develops its National Dementia Plan. Investing in dementia awareness interventions and age-friendly neighborhoods may benefit aging refugees in limited-resources settings.

Greater transcultural and transdisciplinary engagement within Muslim contexts and deliberate inclusion of diverse Muslim voices in the development of international guidelines is required to improve understanding of the state of stem cell science, strengthen thinking about attendant ethical complexities, enhance compliance, deepen public deliberation, increase trust, and strengthen practice standards.