Introduction Many refugees flee their home countries due to insecurity, hunger and political persecution. Refugees experience traumatic episodes in their lives, which affect their mental health negatively. They seek asylum in countries, which have favorable security and economic conditions, for them and their families. Refugees seek asylum in foreign countries to enable them rebuild their lives afresh (Jupp, 2003, p.159). However, some refugees are affected mentally by the harrowing incidents they experience in their home countries before being resettled in new countries. This paper will show how poor mental health issues affect refugees before and after getting asylum. Conditions Before Flight Refugees go through various tragic events in their home countries, which affect their mental health. Papadopoulos (2001) reveals that the pre-flight period is characterized by anticipation and anxiety (p. 408). This is the period when signs of political violence begin manifesting in societies they live. During this period, refugees are anxious about what is going to happen and how they will cope with the conflict. They are unable to carry out any meaningful economic activity because of rampant insecurity and political instability. They witness tensions building up between rival groups, which makes them live in a state of fear and uncertainty. They live their lives on the edge because they are unsure of what is going to happen to them and their families. This makes them more desperate and willing to compromise their values and dignity to survive. As tensions in their home countries escalate, violence becomes widespread and many people are exposed to murder, sexual assault and general insecurity. These events affect refugees’ mental health severely. They are left at the mercy of well wishers who help them satisfy their basic needs. War and other calamities cause separation of children with their parents, which makes such children vulnerable (Fazel & Stein, 2002, p. 368). These conflicts are a danger to the well being of children, as they get exposed to extreme incidents of violence and suffering. This impacts negatively on their psychological growth. Children who get separated from their families are deprived of the care they need to grow positively. These children have to fend for themselves at a very early age, which denies them an opportunity to go to school. In extreme cases, boys are used as soldiers while girls become sex slaves. Aftermath of Traumatic Episodes The large scale displacement of people by war and other civilian conflicts depresses many refugees. They are evicted from their homes unwillingly, which makes them get traumatized. They seek refuge in camps which do not have conducive conditions for human settlement. They are forced to live in abject conditions characterized by overcrowding, poor hygiene, insufficient shelter and inadequate food supplies (Singh, 2005, p. 290). This makes it difficult for refugees to engage in beneficial activities, that can help them sustain themselves and their families. All these factors exert a lot of pressure on refugees, which affects them psychologically. Procter (2005) reveals that refugees witness a lot