Scientists at University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney have developed an online intervention to help traumatised refugee men overcome the stigma associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"Before our project, there was no intervention to specifically reduce mental health stigma in refugees - 'Tell Your Story' (TYS) is the first programme of its kind, and it's so exciting to see the results of it after years of work," said Nickerson.
Men who participated in the trial went on to seek more help than those in the control group, and they experienced less self-stigma compared to the control group.
A separate study by UNSW medical researchers has shown that survivors of sexual assault who encounter negative responses from family members when they disclose their abuse are at higher risk of poor mental health later in life.
"There is ample evidence that sexual abuse is widespread among women - for example, we know that nearly 1 in 5 adult women globally, and approximately 20 per cent of Australian women report exposure to sexual abuse in childhood," said study lead author Associate Professor Susan Rees from UNSW Medicine's School of Psychiatry.
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