Abstract
Refugees usually face cumulative traumatic experiences before, during and after flight and areexposed to other flight related risk factors. As a consequence, a large proportion of refugeessuffer from mental disorders, most often from depression, anxiety and PTSD. While there isextensive evidence on risk factors for mental disorders in refugees, little is known onprotectiveandpromotivefactorsandsomeriskfactorsastillscarcelyinvestigated.Therefore, the symposium provides a systematic review of protective factors and focusseson perceived discrimination as a specific risk factor in Syrian refugees in a large German cityand its association with mental health. In addition, a taboo topic, the risk of sexual violenceamong male refugees on their way to the UK will be brought into focus. Finally, mentalhealth care structures for refugees in Germany are presented and data from two large carecentres are discussed.