​Objective: to compare mental well-being and levels of post-trauma distress between Syrian refugees who live inside camps and those who live outside camps in Jordan.

Methods: This is a survey-based cross-sectional study. Data collection took place in Jordan between February and April of 2022. Our sample of participants (n=240) responded to the Arabic versions of the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF), and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). Descriptive statistics and multiple comparative tests were put to use throughout data analysis.

Findings: According to the MHC-SF, participants in cities had significantly better results on the social well-being scale (p=0.032) but not on the emotional and psychological subscales compared to participants in camps. As for the IES-R, refugees living inside camps had better results compared to their opposing group (p<0.001).

Conclusions: Syrian refugees in Jordan had lower-than-average levels of mental well-being. Refugees living inside camps were disadvantaged in terms of mental well-being but slightly less affected by PTSD in comparison to those living in urban areas. Improved programs and policies are needed to uplift the mental well-being of Syrian refugees in Jordan and to minimize the destructive traumatic effects of the Syrian war on their wellness.

Funding: This research received no funding from any agencies.

Declaration of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical Approval: Ethical committee approval by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Jordan was obtained for this study. Verbal consent was acquired from all participants assuring them and ensuring the confidentiality and anonymity of their responses. Formal communication with the Ministry of Interior - Office for Refugee Affairs was established to facilitate data collection and to assure community members of the formality and confidentiality of the data collection procedure.​