Evaluation of the Depression Status of Syrian Refugee Amputees Living in Turkey

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the depression status of Syrian refugee amputees living in Turkey using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Material and Methods: The study was conducted in 93 (82 male, 11 female) Syrian refugee amputees with an average age of 35.22±13.56 years. Socio-demographic and descriptive data of the participants such as cause/level of amputation, duration of prosthesis uses, marital status, education level, job status, and phantom pain were also collected. Participants were asked to complete the self-report BDI-II. Kruskal Wallis Test was used for multiple comparisons, Independent t test and Mann-Whitney U Test was used for binary comparisons. Results: It was observed that 67.7% of the patients had a Beck Depression Inventory Score (BDIS) indicating minimal depression, 25.8% had mild-moderate depression, and 6.5% had severe depression. The mean BDIS of the female amputees was found to be statistically higher than that of the male amputees (p:0.039). When the etiology of amputation was compared, it was observed that the diabetes/chronic disease group had a significantly higher average BDIS than that of the others (p:0.045). Conclusion: Patients, though as refugee, live in Turkey in relatively better conditions and have been receiving adequate medical support, both of which may be mitigating factors reducing the psychological pressure. Factors such as the large and inclusive Syrian family structure and solidarity among refugees are also considered to be effective in reducing their BDIS.