The need to contextualise psychotraumatology research

The current geopolitical landscape has resulted in unprecedented numbers of refugee populations. For the first time since World War 2, the total number of people forced to flee their homes as refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons has exceeded 50 million. In the first 8 months of 2015 alone, more than 540 000 asylum applications were filed across European Union member states. In addition to increased physical health risks, asylum seekers and refugees are at a higher risk than average for the development of a range of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses including mood, anxiety-related, psychotic, and substance-use disorders.