Mental health in a conflict area: Migration, economic stress and religiosity in the three southernmost provinces of Thailand

2016 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Ford ◽  
Aree Jampaklay ◽  
Aphichat Chamratrithirong

Aim: Three southern provinces of Thailand, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, have been involved in a long period of unrest due to differences between the population in the provinces and the Thai government with regard to language, culture and governance. The objectives of this article are to examine the effects of everyday stressors due to the conflict, including economic stress and migration, as well as the effect of religiosity on the reporting of psychiatric symptoms among adults in the three provinces. Methods: Data were drawn from a survey conducted in 2014. The survey included a probability sample of 2,053 Muslim adults aged 18–59 years.Mental health was assessed using World Health Organization’s (WHO) Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) of 20 questions. Multilevel models were estimated to examine the influence of economic stress due to the conflict, as well as community and individual aspects of migration and religion on mental health. Results: The data showed that migration from the household and the community and the economic effects of the unrest were associated with reporting of more psychiatric symptoms among adults in the southern provinces. Religion was related to reporting of fewer psychiatric symptoms at the individual and the community levels. Conclusion: The study documented increased reporting of psychiatric symptoms among persons reporting perceived household economic stress due to the conflict and the migration of family members.

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Ford ◽  
Aree Jampaklay ◽  
Aphichat Chamratrithirong

Objectives: Three southern provinces of Thailand – Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat – have been involved in a long period of unrest. Young people in these provinces have lived with this violence for many years. The objectives of this article are to assess the prevalence of psychiatric symptoms of young adults aged 18–24 years and to examine the perceived effects of the conflict on education, employment, social and religious life. Methods: Data were drawn from a probability sample of 2,053 Muslim adults aged 18–59 years conducted in 2014. Mental health was assessed using World Health Organization’s (WHO) Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) of 20 questions, the Thai Mental Health questionnaire and a Happiness scale. In-depth interviews with 30 respondents were also used to assess the perceived effects of the conflict on daily life, education, employment and settlement. Results: Most respondents reported low levels of psychiatric symptoms, though a small proportion reported a large high enough number to be of concern. Most of them also reported high levels of happiness. Respondents who wished to migrate to work in another area reported more psychiatric symptoms and lower levels of happiness. Many respondents reported concerns about the violence in their daily lives, although some may have become habituated to its effects. There were many obstacles reported toward obtaining education including the threat of violence, financial cost and drug use. Male respondents had concerns about consequences of being suspected to be involved in the violence and drug use. The limited employment and the threat of violence were related to the plan to migrate or to settle in the three provinces. Conclusion: In summary, most young people in the area move forward with their lives and many display some habituation to the violence. However, the economic depression due to the violence and the threat of violence often affected their daily lives.


2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402198973
Author(s):  
Kathleen Ford ◽  
Aree Jampaklay ◽  
Aphichat Chamatrithirong

Aim: The objective of this paper is to examine the level of psychiatric symptoms and associated factors among Thai migrants from the southernmost Thai provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narithiwat who are working in Malaysia. Comparisons will be made with the sending population in the southernmost provinces of Thailand. Methods: Data are drawn from survey and in-depth interviews with Thai migrants who are working in Malaysia. Comparisons are made with a probability sample of working age adults in Thailand. The twenty item Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ) was the measure of mental health. Results: The study found that the migrants, on average, have normal levels of psychiatric symptoms. However, although about 24% of migrants reported more eight or more symptoms that may indicate a need for evaluation. There are many stressors in their lives including distance from families, reduced social support, legal matters surrounding immigration, and discrimination/exploitation of migrant groups. Conclusion: The study highlights the need for policy makers and non-governmental organizations to give attention to migrants’ mental health, well-being and sustainable livelihoods.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Faridah Amin ◽  
Salman Sharif ◽  
Rabeeya Saeed ◽  
Noureen Durrani ◽  
Daniyal Jilani

Abstract Background COVID-19 is a global pandemic and has become a major public health burden worldwide. With already fragile healthcare systems it can have long lasting effects in developing countries. Outbreaks especially a pandemic situation evokes fear related behaviors among healthcare professionals and there is always an increased risk of mental health disorders. Therefore, this study aims to determine knowledge and perception about this pandemic, prevalence and factors associated with anxiety/depression among frontline physicians of Pakistan. Methods Data were collected through an online survey released in the last week of March-2020. 389 frontline physicians from all four provinces and 65 cities of Pakistan participated. Survey questionnaire consisted of 4 parts including informed consent section, demographic section, knowledge and perception about COVID-19 pandemic and assessment of depression through World Health Organization Self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20). A score of 8 or above on SRQ-20 was used as cut-off to label the participant as depressed. Data was analyzed using SPSS version22. Results A 43% prevalence of anxiety/depression among frontline physicians of Pakistan was reported. Almost all the doctors had moderate to high knowledge score. Majority of participants marked N-95 mask as “essential” during aerosol generating procedures, assessing patients with respiratory symptoms, in COVID patient-care area, ER triage and direct care of COVID-19 patient. Only 12% of the doctors were fully satisfied with the provision of PPEs and almost 94% felt unprotected. In multivariable model, assessing more than five COVID suspects/day (aOR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.65–4.52), working 20 h/week or less (aOR = 2.11, 1.27–3.49), having children among household members (aOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.00–2.50) and moderate to low knowledge of the infection (aOR = 2.69, 95% CI: 1.68–4.31) were found to be independent predictors of anxiety/depression among physicians. Conclusion Anxiety/depression among more than a third of frontline doctors of Pakistan warrants the need to address mental health of doctors caring for patients during this pandemic; control modifiable factors associated with it and explore the effectiveness of interventions to promote psychological well-being of physicians.


2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-80
Author(s):  
Lineth Hiordana Ugarte Bustamante ◽  
Raphael Oliveira Cerqueira ◽  
Fernanda De Marzio ◽  
Keila Pereira Leite ◽  
Thatiane Dal Picolo Cadurin ◽  
...  

The objective of this study was to investigate barriers to appropriate mental health care in a sample of Bolivian migrants living in São Paulo and to examine the association between barriers of care and the presence of symptoms of non-psychotic psychiatric disorders in this population. Considering that treatment usually reduces symptoms, it could be hypothesized that individuals reporting more barriers to care also will report more symptoms. The sample comprised 104 individuals born in Bolivia, with Bolivian nationality and living in São Paulo for at least 30 days prior to enrolling in the study, between 18 and 80 years of age and able to read and write in Spanish or Portuguese. The symptoms of mental disorders were assessed using the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) and barriers to appropriate mental health care were evaluated using the Barriers to Assessing Care Evaluation (BACE). A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the predictive effect of the BACE total score (independent variable) in the SRQ-20 score (dependent variable), including in the model, and the variables that were significantly correlated with the BACE total score or SRQ-20. Our results indicate that more than a half of the sample of Bolivian migrants living in Sao Paulo, Brazil, especially females, presented significant non-psychotic psychopathology. Individuals reporting more barriers to care, especially instrumental and attitudinal barriers, also have a higher risk of psychiatric symptoms, independently of sex, age and family income. Our results suggest that actions to increase availability of mental health services, especially culturally sensitive services, could reduce barriers to care and improve mental health among migrants.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S620-S620
Author(s):  
K. Bazaid

War is the most serious of all threats to health (World Health Organization, 1982) and can have severe and lasting impacts on mental health. Forced displacement and migration generate risks to mental well-being, which can result in psychiatric illness. Yet, the majority of refugees do not develop psychopathology. Rather, they demonstrate resilience in the face of tremendous adversity. The influx of Syrian refugees to Canada poses challenges to the health care system. We will present our experience to date in the Ottawa region, including a multisector collaborative effort to provide settlement and health services to newly arriving refugees from the Middle East and elsewhere. The workshop will be brought to life by engaging with clinical cases and public health scenarios that present real world clinical challenges to the provision of mental health care for refugees.Objectives(1) Understand the predicament of refugees including risks to mental health, coping strategies and mental health consequences, (2) know the evidence for the emergence of mental illness in refugees and the effectiveness of multi-level interventions, (3) become familiar with published guidelines and gain a working knowledge of assessment and management of psychiatric conditions in refugee populations and cultural idioms of distress.How will the participants receive feedback about their learning? Participants will have direct feedback through answers to questions. The authors welcome subsequent communication by email. Presenters can give attendants handouts on pertinent and concise information linked to the workshop.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jairo Ramírez-Ortiz ◽  
Diego Castro-Quintero ◽  
Carmen Lerma-Córdoba ◽  
Francisco Yela-Ceballos ◽  
Franklin Escobar-Córdoba

The 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is a public health emergency of international concern, which poses a major challenge to mental health as a result of its unprecedented impact in this 21st century. Research in past epidemics has revealed a deep and wide range of psychosocial consequences at the individual and collective level. There are multiple associated psychological disturbances, ranging from isolated symptoms to complex disorders with marked impairment of functionality, such as insomnia, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Therefore, it is necessary for mental health services to develop strategies that allow them to react skillfully and provide support to health workers and the affected population so as to reduce the psychological impact as well as the development of psychiatric symptoms. The purpose of this reflection article is to show the possible consequences on the mental health of the population as a result of social isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.


2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-778
Author(s):  
Fahmida Ahmed ◽  
Anwar Husain ◽  
Meherunnessa Begum ◽  
Mohd Nurul Alam ◽  
Muhammad Ayaaz Ibrahim

Background: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder which has a high prevalence among adolescence and young adults. Although acne does not cause direct physical impairment, it can produce a significant psychosocial burden. As the face is almost always the site of involvement of acne, its presence can alter one’s perception of body image. Increased levels of anxiety, anger, depression, and frustration are also observed in patients with acne. Acne affects social, vocational, and academic performance of teenagers & young adult. Objective: To identify socio-demographic profile and to evaluate the psychiatric morbidity in patients with acne vulgaris in a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted from June 2017 to December 2017 among the patients of acne vulgaris attending outpatient department of Dermatology in Ibn Sina Medical College Hospital, Dhaka. Purposive sampling technique was used. The sample size of the study was 181. Data were collected by using semi structured socio-demographic questionnaire and the SRQ to screen psychiatric symptoms. The Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ), is a psychiatric case finding instrument, was developed by World Health Organization (WHO) to screen for psychiatric disturbance especially among developing countries. The data obtained was collected, tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), for windows version 20. Results: Study was conducted on 181patients comprising 135(74.6%) were female & 46(25.4%) were male. Age group between 16 to 22 years carried maximum incidence 100(55.2%). Among the patients Psychiatric morbidity was found in86(48%) of the study population. Psychiatric morbidity was found more in young and females patients. Among the types of psychiatric morbidity Anxiety disorders were 57(66.3%) & Major Depressive Disorder(MDD) was 29(33.7%).Anxiety disorders were included social phobia (26.7%), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) (18.6%), panic disorder (14%) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)(7%). Conclusion: Patients with acne vulgaris in whom psychiatric morbidity is present, should be routinely evaluated and their psychiatric morbidity need to be treated adequately for maximize their health. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.18(4) 2019 p.773-778


2021 ◽  
pp. 101269022110229
Author(s):  
Matthias Buser ◽  
Jenny A Zwahlen ◽  
Torsten Schlesinger ◽  
Siegfried Nagel

Sport clubs are considered an ideal setting for the social integration of people with a migration background. However, they can also be a place of social closure practices, where assimilative ideas and ethnic boundaries are present. Besides the individual characteristics of the members, adequate club organizational structures are relevant for preventing social closure and facilitating social integration. Thus, the role of organizational structures for social integration might differ between natives and people with a migration background. Based on data from 42 Swiss sport clubs and 780 sport club members, with and without a migration background, we analyzed individual (migration background and membership biography) and structural factors (situational, club goals, and club culture) using multilevel models and tested cross-level interactions between structural variables and migration background. The results reveal that membership biography (e.g. membership duration and volunteering) and migration background are relevant for social integration. The estimated cross-level effects reveal that, unlike for natives and second-generation people with a migration background, structural conditions are especially relevant for first-generation people with a migration background. For example, social integration increases with a higher proportion of people with a migration background in the club or a less assimilative club culture.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-24
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Pérez ◽  
Julio Cesar Cerna Cano ◽  
Luz Marina Alonso-Palacio ◽  
Edgardo Chacón-Andrade

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”1. Consequently, mental health is a construct composed of psychological, emotional, social and environmental issues which includes a person’s ability to function under adversity and also to adapt to changes around them.


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Vinola Poliah ◽  
Saeeda Paruk

Background: Sex work is a high-risk occupation for mental health problems as sex workers are vulnerable to high rates of violence, sexual coercion, stigma and HIV. Aim: To determine the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms and substance use in sex workers.Method: A crosssectional questionnaire survey of all men and women attending the Sisonke health initiative, a non-profit non-governmental organisation (NGO), for sex workers was conducted over three months. A socio-demographic questionnaire, the Self Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ 20), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ 9) and the WHO Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST V3.0) were administered. Results: A total of 155 participants were surveyed. The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms on the SRQ 20 and PHQ 9 total scores were 78.4% and 80.9% respectively. Some 40% of sex workers reported suicidal ideation in the year preceding the study. High rates of violence (n = 112, 72%) and childhood abuse (n = 107, 69%) were reported. The prevalence of HIV was 76.1%. The lifetime prevalence of substance use for nicotine (87.8%), alcohol (87.8%) and cannabis (87.7%) was high. Despite the high prevalence of psychiatric symptoms reported, only 15 (9.7%) participants were receiving psychiatric treatment at the time of the survey. Conclusions: The high prevalence of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, substance use and co-morbid HIV infection reported by sex workers and the significant treatment gap suggests an urgent need to provide an integrated health service that targets physical and mental health in sex workers. (Full text of the research articles are available online at www.medpharm.tandfonline.com/ojfp) S Afr Fam Pract 2017; DOI: 10.1080/20786190.2016.1272247


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