The Behavioral Neuroscience of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Barriers to Learning

The number of migrants around the world has increased over the last decade, which can be attributed, in part, to increased violence from wars in the Middle East (Böhm et al., 2018; Hahnefeld, 2021; Reavell & Fazil, 2017; USA for UNHCR, 2022). About half of refugees are children (Amnesty International, 2022). These children are at risk of experiencing profound mental health issues (Williams et al., 2016), including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD has been described as a condition wherein an individual enters "survival mode" (Dyer et al., 2009) and is characterized by anxiety, intrusion symptoms, avoidance of stimuli, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, and marked alterations in arousal and reactivity (American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Fasfous et al., 2021). PTSD can interfere with learning processes due to consequential deficits in verbal memory, top-down processing, and other neuropsychological functions (Herringa, 2018; Samuelson, 2010, 2017; van Rooij et al., 2018; Wrocklage et al., 2016). Researchers have documented poorer learning outcomes in refugee children compared to control (Fasofous et al., 2021). Moreover, deleterious consequences extend beyond childhood. Even after resettlement outside of a refugee camp, psychological concerns can persist, and deficits may be prevalent (Hess et al., 2022). For governments and practitioners seeking to assist refugees, it is important to understand the connection between trauma and learning so as to develop effective interventions and treatments. [This paper was published in: "EJERCongress 2022 Conference Proceedings," Ani Publishing, 2022, pp. 218-224.]