Maze or Labyrinth: Identifying PTSD Stressors in the Built Space of Zaatari and Calais Refugee Camps

• Published in: The Professional geographer 2018-10, Vol.70 (4), p.552-565
• Main Authors: Chambers, Samuel N., Jacobs, W. Jake, Lindberg, Casey
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; Avoidance; Avoidance behavior; built space; Coping strategies; espacio construido, análisis geoespacial, salud mental, desorden de estrés postraumático, refugiados; Geographic information systems; geospatial analysis; Human settlements; Intersections; mental health; Post traumatic stress disorder; posttraumatic stress disorder; Refugee camps; Refugees; Spatial analysis; Test anxiety; Urban areas; Urban environments; Visibility; 建成空间, 地理空间分析, 心灵健康, 创伤后压力症候群, 难民
• ISSN: 0033-0124; 1467-9272
• DOI: 10.1080/00330124.2018.1432366

In this study, we analyze the structure of paths within two refugee camps (Calais, France, and Zaatari, Jordan) as a preliminary study examining posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stressors within such camps. We do so through a geospatial analysis of intersections and viewsheds within the camps. Given that anxiety, and the avoidance associated with it, is a primary characteristic of PTSD, refugees might prefer built environments with fewer stressors or anxiety triggers. This study provides a baseline for analyzing basic stressors in a way to test whether design supports anxiety-based avoidance. The planned structure of Zaatari shows a high prevalence of spatial PTSD stressors with lower visibility and a more maze-like structure than that of Calais. This suggests a coping strategy taken by refugees to produce a more suitable and less stressing labyrinth structure. To properly treat PTSD in geographical space, we suggest a need for consideration of this in the planning, function, and very existence of refugee camps and settlements.