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S492

24th European Congress of Psychiatry / European Psychiatry 33S (2016) S349–S805

Cultural Psychiatry

EV448

Mental health of traumatized refugees

and asylum seekers: Experiences of a

centre of transcultural psychiatry in

Hannover, Germany

U. Altunoz

, S. Castro Nunez , I.T. Graef Calliess

Klinikum Wahrendorff Psychiatry Hospital, Transcultural Psychiatry,

Hannover, Germany

Corresponding author.

Introduction

Germany has always been an important host coun-

try for traumatized refugees and asylumseekers. Although, recently

an increasing number of investigations about mental health of indi-

vidual migrant groups have been published in Germany, there is a

paucity of research concerningmental health of asylumseekers and

refugees.

Aims-objectives

To investigate socio-demographic and clinical

characteristics of traumatized refugees-asylum seekers who were

applied to an outpatient psychiatry clinic in Germany.

Method

A standardized data collection form (socio-

demographics, diagnosis, suicidality, etc.) was filled by therapists

for each traumatized refugee-asylum seeker who was applied to

outpatient clinic of Klinikum Wahrendorff-Centre of Transcultural

Psychiatry between April 2013 and October 2015.

Results

Fifty-eight traumatized refugees-asylum seekers

(F/M= 27/31, age: 34.7

±

1.4) were assessed. 53 (91.4%) of them

were assessed via interpreters. Thirty (51.7%) of them were stay-

ing in refugee-dormitories, 25 (43.1%) of them were living alone.

They’ve been living in Germany for 19.9

±

16 months (min: 1–max:

82). Psychiatric symptoms appeared before 29.9

±

19months. Time

to reach to psychiatric care in Germany was 14.2

±

11 months. Psy-

chiatric diagnoses were posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): 12

(21%), depression + PTSD: 44 (76%), depression: 2 (3%). Fifty-three

(91.4%) of them had suicidal ideation and 16 (27.6%) of them had

at least one suicide attempt before.

Conclusions

Traumatized refugees in this study have high rates of

suicidal ideation and suicide attempts and it takes months to years

for them to reach a psychiatric care. Therefore, strategies should

be developed for early detection of PTSD symptoms in traumatized

refugees and access barriers to reach a psychiatric care should be

overcome.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their decla-

ration of competing interest.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1433

EV449

Cultural explanations of sleep

paralysis: The spiritual phenomena

I. Carvalho

1 ,

, L. Maia

2

, A. Coutinho

3

, D. Silva

4

, G. Guimarães

5

1

Centro Hospitalar V.N. Gaia/Espinho, Psychiatry and Mental Health,

V.N. de Gaia, Portugal

2

Centro Hospitalar V.N. Gaia/Espinho, Psychiatry and Mental Health,

Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal

3

Centro Hospitalar V.N. Gaia/Espinho, Psychiatry and Mental Health,

V.N. Gaia, Portugal

4

Centro Hospitalar de Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho, Psychiatry and

Mental Health, V.N. de Gaia, Portugal

5

Centro Hospitalar V.N. Gaia/Espinho, Department of Psychiatry and

Mental Health, V.N. Gaia, Portugal

Corresponding author.

Introduction

Sleep paralysis (SP) is relatively frequent condition,

occurring either at sleep onset or sleep offset. It occurs at least once

in a lifetime in 40–50% of normal subjects. During SP, the patient

experiences gross motor paralysis, while the sensory system is

clear. Hypnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations are common.

This experience might be interpreted as a spiritual phenomenon in

several cultures, each one with different interpretations and attri-

butions.

Objective

The authors revisit the clinical presentation of sleep

paralysis and how this sleep disorder is seen from a cultural per-

spective.

Aims

To describe several cultural interpretations of SP.

Methods

A literature review of the theme is shortly surveyed.

Results

It is very common during an episode of SP sensing the

presence of menacing intruders in one’s bedroom. Supernatural

accounts of this hallucinated intruder are common across cultures.

It has been traditionally labeled “ghost oppression” among the

Chinese. In the Abruzzo region (Italy), the supernatural interpre-

tation of the phenomena is called the Pandafeche attack. One study

found that nearly half (48%) of the participants from the general

Egyptian population believed their SP to be caused by the Jinn, a

spirit-like creature. In Southwest Nigeria, Ogun Oru is a traditional

explanation for nocturnal neuropsychiatric disturbances. The char-

acteristics of the ‘a dead body climbed on top of me’ phenomenon

suggest that is identical to sleep paralysis and a frequent experience

among Mexican adolescents.

Conclusions

Depending on the etiological interpretations of SP,

which is largely culturally determined, patients react to the event

in specific ways.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their decla-

ration of competing interest.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1434

EV450

Does depression conciliate in marital

adjustment?

A. Channa

Liaquat National Hospital, Psychiatry, Karachi, Pakistan

Marriage is one of the principal facets when it comes to inter-

personal context of depression. There is evidence supporting

bidirectional casual effect between depression and marital satis-

faction. However the phenomenon of marital adjustment and its

related variable has not been given much attention in the Pakistan.

Objective

To determine the frequency of marital adjustment in

patients with depression.

Method

Depressedpatients, whowere agedbetween15–65were

included. Patientswho had documented comorbid of substance use

or any unstable serious general medical condition were excluded.

The severity of depression was evaluated by using Urdu vali-

dated Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Marital adjustment is

determined by using Urdu validated version of Kansas Marital Sat-

isfaction Scale.

Result

Only 8.6% were well adjusted in their marital life, and all

were females. The association of marital adjustment and severity of

depression and difference in both genders on KANSAS was insignif-

icant. The longer duration of illness was positively interrelated to

the marital adjustment with odd ratio of 7.6. Being employed and

above 30 years of age were inversely related to marital satisfaction

with odd ratio of 6.1 and 5.4 respectively. However, the correlation

between other independent variables andmarital adjustment were

insignificant in both genders.

Conclusion

This study confirms the presence of high frequency

i.e. 91.4% of marital dissatisfaction in depression in both male and

females, irrespective of their severity of depression.

Disclosure of interest

The author has not supplied their declara-

tion of competing interest.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.1435