Does Time in Migration Exacerbate Posttraumatic Symptoms Among Internationally Displaced East African Refugees?

Refugees often experience a prolonged period of migration. We examined the potential moderating influence of time in migration on the relationship between trauma exposure and psychological distress in a sample of 60 East African refugees. Results indicated that increased time in migration exacerbated the trauma-posttraumatic-stress-symptom relationship, accounting for an additional 12% of model variance (t[54] = 2.25, b =.09, p =.03). No such moderation was found for symptoms of depression (t[54] =.74, b =.03, p =.46). These preliminary findings highlight the need for early, community-based interventions that target the interaction between trauma- and migration-related stressors.