Old Age and Refugees: A Trauma Perspective

Migration Psychology-wos kapak

Deniz IŞIKER BEDİRa , Hıdır APAKb

aMardin Artuklu University Faculty of Letters, Department of Psychology, Mardin, Türkiye
bMardin Artuklu University Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Social Work, Mardin, Türkiye

Işıker Bedir D, Apak H. Old age and refugees: a trauma perspective. In: Öztürk E, ed. Migration Psychology. 1st ed. Ankara: Türkiye Klinikleri; 2024. p.135-40.

ABSTRACT

Aging has become one of the important study topics in recent years with the rapidly increasing elderly population in the world and Turkey. While the phenomenon of migration affects people of all age groups, especially as a result of traumatic events such as economic crises, wars, and natural disasters, it comes to the forefront in aging studies with its aspect affecting the elderly. With the spread of violence against civilians and wars, the number of forced displacement and migrants has increased rapidly in many parts of the world. It can be said that migration is a traumatic experience and affects people negatively both physically and socially and psychologically, especially when it is forced. Although being a refugee is traumatic for every individual who experiences migration, children, the elderly, the disabled, and women are more affected by the negativities of the migration process. In this study, the elderly, one of the groups most at risk after migration, will be discussed and the situation of old age and being an elderly migrant will be examined from the perspective of trauma.

Keywords: Migration; old age; trauma; elderly refugees

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