Effect of Post-Migration Detention on Mental Health Among Afghan Asylum Seekers in Japan

2006 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 341-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masao Ichikawa ◽  
Shinji Nakahara ◽  
Susumu Wakai
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
New York ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Stress Disorders ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Hopkins Symptom Checklist ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations

Objectives: Afghan asylum seekers in Japan were increasingly subject to detention following the terrorist attack in New York in September 2001, yet little is reported about the net impact of the detention on their mental health. We examined this by comparing asylum seekers who had once been detained in post-migration and their non-detained counterparts. Method: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 2002/03 among asylum seekers from Afghanistan who were in the process of refugee application in Japan. We contacted them through their lawyers or non-governmental organizations. Of 73 contacted, 55 agreed to participate. Anxiety and depression were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25, and posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) and past traumatic experiences were studied with the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. These mental disorders were scored on a 4-point scale; the average symptom score of 4 indicates the worst mental health status. Results: Respondents reported a mean (SD) of 10 (4.0) pre-migration traumas. Since their arrival in Japan, 18 (33%) had once been detained. Trauma exposures and other characteristics of those detained were not significantly different from those not detained, whereas the symptom scores of anxiety (2.91), depression (2.75) and PTSD (2.90) among those detained were higher than among those not detained (2.30, 2.41, 2.34 respectively). Multiple regression analyses revealed independent adverse effects of post-migration detention, alongside exposure to greater trauma and living alone, and the effects were comparable between these variables. Conclusion: The post-migration detention of Afghan asylum seekers in Japan was independently related to their worsened mental health.

Resilience and anxiety or depression among resettled Bhutanese adults in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 496-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar ◽  
Genevieve E Chandler ◽  
Cynthia S Jacelon ◽  
Bhuwan Gautam ◽  
Elizabeth R Bertone-Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Stressful Life Events ◽  
The United States ◽  
Poor Mental Health ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Personal Competence ◽  
Hopkins Symptom Checklist ◽  
Resilience Scale

Background: Resilience, or an individual’s positive response in managing life’s adversities, is of increasing interest in addressing the mental health disparities in refugees. Although the link between stressful life events and poor mental health is established, research on the role of resilience on the mental health of refugees is limited. Aims: This study assessed the association between resilience and anxiety or depression in resettled Bhutanese adults in Western Massachusetts. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 225 Bhutanese (men: 113, women: 112) refugees aged 20–65 residing in Massachusetts. Resilience was measured with the 25-item Wagnild and Young’s Resilience Scale including two constructs as follows: a 17-item ‘personal competence’ that measures self-reliance, independence, determination, resourcefulness, mastery and perseverance and an 8-item ‘acceptance of self and life’ that measures adaptability, flexibility and a balanced perspective of life. Higher total scores indicate greater resilience. The Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 was used to measure anxiety (10-item) and depression (15-item) with a cutoff mean score of ⩾1.75 for moderate to severe symptoms. Associations of resilience with anxiety or depression scores were assessed using multiple-linear and logistic regression analyses. Results: The proportion of participants with above threshold anxiety and depression were 34.2% and 24%, respectively. Resilience was inversely associated with both anxiety (beta for 1 unit change in resilience scores: β = −0.026; p = .037) and depression (β = −0.036, p = .041). ‘Personal competence’ resilience was inversely associated with both anxiety (β = −0.041 p = .017) and depression (β = −0.058, p = .019), but ‘acceptance of self and life’ resilience was not. Participants with the highest tertile of resilience scores had a significantly decreased risk of anxiety (ORs (95% CI): 0.13 (0.04–0.40)) and depression (0.16 (0.04–0.60)). Conclusion: Higher resilience was associated with reduced anxiety and depression among Bhutanese with personal competence resilience accounting for most of the effects. These findings suggest the potential targets for mental-health intervention to improve resilience in refugees.

Parent and child mental health during COVID-19 in Australia: The role of pet attachment

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Bennetts
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Child Anxiety ◽  
Companion Animals ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Family Routines ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pet Attachment

Restrictions, social isolation, and uncertainty related to the global COVID-19 pandemic have disrupted the ways that parents and children maintain family routines, health, and wellbeing. Companion animals (pets) can be a critical source of comfort during traumatic experiences, although changes to family routines, such as those caused by COVID-19, can also bring about challenges like managing undesirable pet behaviours or pet-human interactions. We aimed to examine the relationship between pet attachment and mental health for both parents and their children during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia. A total of 1,034 parents living with a child under 18 years and a cat or dog completed an online cross-sectional survey. Path analysis using multivariate linear regression was conducted to examine associations between objective COVID-19 impacts, subjective worry about COVID-19, human-pet attachment, and mental health. After adjusting for core demographic factors, stronger pet-child attachment was associated with greater child anxiety (parent-reported, p<.001). Parent-pet attachment was not associated with self-reported psychological distress (p=.42), however, parents who reported a strong emotional closeness with their pet reported greater psychological distress (p=.002). Findings highlight the role of pets during times of change and uncertainty. It is possible that families are turning to animals as a source of comfort, during a time when traditional social supports are less accessible. Alternatively, strong pet attachment is likely to reflect high levels of empathy, which might increase vulnerability to psychological distress. Longitudinal evidence is required to delineate the mechanisms underpinning pet attachment and mental health.

The mental health of Australian medical practitioners during Covid-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 103985622110108
Author(s):  
Michelle Anne Adams ◽  
Matthew Brazel ◽  
Richard Thomson ◽  
Hannah Lake
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Junior Doctor ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Mental Health Diagnosis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Psychological Distress Scale ◽  
Distress Scale ◽  
Health Diagnosis

Objectives: To ascertain whether doctors were experiencing higher rates of distress during Covid-19 and whether this was impacted by demographic factors. Our hypotheses were that being a junior doctor, having a previous mental health diagnosis and treating Covid-19 positive patients would predict higher rates of distress. Methods: Cross-sectional survey conducted via Survey Monkey. Voluntary participants were recruited from the mailing list of a national-based referral service for doctors to psychiatrists. Distress was measured using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Demographic factors were analysed for predictive value of a higher rating on the K10. Areas of concern in relation to Covid-19 and preference for support services were measured on a Likert scale and compared to levels of distress. Results: The rate of very high distress was 15%. Being a junior doctor and having a previous mental health diagnosis were predictive factors of a higher K10 score. K10 was not affected by likelihood of contact with Covid-19-positive patients. Social isolation had a larger impact on mental health in the context of a previous psychiatric diagnosis. Face-to-face assessments were preferred. Conclusions: Rates of distress in doctors have been higher than baseline during Covid-19. Some groups have been particularly vulnerable.

scholarly journals Mental Health of COVID-19 Patients—A Cross-Sectional Survey in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4758
Author(s):  
Hasan Saeed Alamri ◽  
Wesam F. Mousa ◽  
Abdullah Algarni ◽  
Shehata F. Megahid ◽  
Ali Al Bshabshe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Patients Experience ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Background: This study aims to investigate the mental health of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia. Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out targeting confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Due to travel and time constraints as well as the accessibility of patients, cases were included from East Jeddah Hospital, King Abdulaziz Hospital, and the Oncology Center in Jeddah. The data were collected using a predesigned self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed COVID-19 cases, personal data, medical history, smoking, traveling abroad, and work-related conditions. Additionally, data regarding contact level with COVID-19 cases were considered. The mental health statuses of the patients were assessed using a validated Arabic version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale. The study included 261 COVID-19 patients whose ages ranged from 18 to 65 years. Results: The survey findings revealed that 13% of COVID-19 patients had a borderline level of anxiety, 26.8% were considered anxiety cases, while 60.2% were normal. The findings also revealed that 29.9% had a borderline level of depression, 18.4% were considered depression cases, while 51.7% were normal. Conclusions: This study concluded that COVID-19 patients experience anxiety and depression, and as the COVID-19 epidemic continues to spread, the results of the study are particularly useful in developing a strategy to psychologically support COVID-19 patients.

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