[Air-L] Study Shows Connection of Mobile Devices + Mental Health Among Syrian Refugees

[Caitlin Howarth]

Refugee Connectivity: A Survey of Mobile Phones, Mental Health, and Privacy at a Syrian Refugee Camp in Greece [http://hhi.harvard.edu/publications/refugee-connectivity-survey-mobile-phones-mental-health-and-privacy-syrian-refugee-camp]
Key Findings: Evidence of Gender Disparities in Phone Access, Social Media Use by Displaced, and High Rates of Refugee Depression
Results of a study conducted amongst Syrian refugees in Greece released today provides new evidence of the critical role internet connectivity and mobile devices may play in the lives and wellbeing of this population (http://hhi.harvard.edu/publications/refugee-connectivity-survey-mobile-phones-mental-health-and-privacy-syrian-refugee-camp). Findings are based on 135 surveys conducted in 2017 of adults amongst the 750 residents at Ritsona Refugee Camp in Greece.
The report, Refugee Connectivity: A Survey of Mobile Phones, Mental Health, and Privacy at a Syrian Refugee Camp in Greece [http://hhi.harvard.edu/publications/refugee-connectivity-survey-mobile-phones-mental-health-and-privacy-syrian-refugee-camp] , is the result of 2017 field research by Data & Society, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative’s (HHI) Signal Program on Human Security and Technology, and Centre for Innovation at Leiden University. Lead authors of the report are Mark Latonero, Ph.D. of Data & Society, Danielle Poole of HHI/Signal and the Harvard School of Public Health, and Jos Berens, formerly of Leiden University.
Key findings of the study include the following:
Women are less likely to own a mobile phone than men - 94% of men own a phone, compared to 67% of women. Mobile phone access is “important” to over 80% of refugees in this study.
Approximately 2 of every 5 refugees participating in this study may be classified as moderately to severely depressed according to the validated depression scale used in the survey. Each additional day an individual used a phone in the past week was associated with a reduction in their probability of being depressed.
Ninety-four percent (94%) use WhatsApp, 78% use Facebook, about 38% use Google Translate and Google Maps, and 9% use Skype.
Eighty-six percent (86%) said they would not be concerned about giving their personal information to a UN official. Yet for Facebook, 30% expressed concern about giving the social media site their personal information, 52% were unconcerned, and 15% were unsure.
- @caitlinhowarth [https://twitter.com/caitlinhowarth] Washington, DC