Post-migration stress mediates associations between potentially traumatic peri-migration experiences and mental health among Middle Eastern refugees in Germany

Abstract

On their way to host countries, refugees are often exposed to severe adversity, including cumulative experiences of fraud, extortion, robbery, detention, and shipwrecks, as well as prolonged, life-threatening small boat crossings. However, little research has examined the long-term impact of such peri-migration stressors on subsequent stress and mental health after arrival. This study explored how cumulative exposure to potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and small boat crossings before arrival affected psychological distress in Middle Eastern refugees, considering the mediating role of post-migration stress in the years following resettlement in Germany.