scholarly journals Mental health of undocumented migrants and migrants undergoing regularization in Switzerland: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Fakhoury ◽  
Claudine Burton-Jeangros ◽  
Liala Consoli ◽  
Aline Duvoisin ◽  
Delphine Courvoisier ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Undocumented migrants live and work in precarious conditions. Few studies have explored the mental health consequences of such environment. The objective of this study is to describe the mental health of migrants at different stages of a regularization program. Methods This cross-sectional study included migrants undocumented or in the process of regularization. We screened for symptoms of anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance using validated tools. We created a composite outcome of altered mental health including these components plus self-report of a recent diagnosis of mental health condition by a health professional. Results We enrolled 456 participants of whom 246 (53.9%) were undocumented. They were predominantly women (71.9%) with a median age of 43.3 (interquartile range: 15.5) years, from Latin America (63.6%) or Asia (20.2%) who had lived in Switzerland for 12 (IQR: 7) years. Overall, 57.2% presented symptoms of altered mental health. Prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression and sleep disturbance were 36% (95% confidence interval: 31.6–40.6%), 45.4% (95% CI: 40.8–50.1%) and 23% (95% CI: 19.2–27.2), respectively. Younger age (adjusted odd ratio: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5–0.9 for each additional decade), social isolation (aOR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.4–4.2), exposure to abuse (aOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.1–3.5), financial instability (aOR: 2.2; 95% CI: 1.4–3.7) and multi-morbidity (aOR: 3.2; 95% CI: 1.7–6.5) were associated with increased risk of having altered mental health while being in the early stages of the process of regularization had no effect (aOR: 1.3: 95% CI: 0.8–2.2). Conclusions This study highlights the need for multi-pronged social and health interventions addressing the various domains of undocumented migrants living difficulties as complement to legal status regularization policies. Protection against unfair working conditions and abuse, access to adequate housing, promoting social integration and preventive interventions to tackle the early occurrence of chronic diseases may all contribute to reduce the burden of altered mental health in this group. More research is needed to assess the long-term impact of legal status regularization on mental health.

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad N. AlHadi ◽  
Mohammed A. Alarabi ◽  
Khulood M. AlMansoor

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on people’s lives globally. The outbreak in Saudi Arabia worsened when the number of cases and deaths rose in March and April of 2020, leading to a national lockdown. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with mental health symptoms in a sample of people residing in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted an observational cross-sectional study using an online survey distributed via social media, completed by 3032 respondents from all Saudi regions. We collected demographic data, illness history, and scores of validated self-report scales to assess mental health symptoms, intolerance of uncertainty, and coping strategies. Results In total, respondents indicated moderate to very severe symptoms during the pandemic as follows: 20.9% for depression, 17.5% for anxiety, and 12.6% for stress. Younger age, female gender, and history of mental illness were associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia. Intolerance of uncertainty and certain coping strategies (such as denial or self-blame) were associated with more severe symptoms. Conclusions Mental health is a key concern during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for the identified vulnerable groups. Agencies concerned with mental health during crises may use the studied associated factors of mental health symptoms to generate targeted policies or interventions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saman Maroufizadeh ◽  
Majid Pourshaikhian ◽  
Ali Pourramzani ◽  
Farzaneh Sheikholeslami ◽  
Mohammad Taghi Moghadamnia ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global public health emergency and may result in psychological problems such as anxiety and depression in general population. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and their associated factors in general population of Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We conducted this web-based cross-sectional study on 5328 individuals in Iran, between 17 and 29 April 2020. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire via social media like WhatsApp and Telegram. The online survey collected information on demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related variables, and anxiety and depression. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to determine independent predictors of anxiety and depression.Results: The mean GAD-7 and PHQ-9 total scores were 7.17 (SD=5.42) and 7.80 (SD=6.68), respectively. The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and comorbid anxiety-depression were 30.1%, 33.4%, and 22.1%, respectively. According to the adjusted analysis, anxiety was significantly associated with being female, being young and middle-aged, being unemployed or housewife, having chronic diseases, long time thinking about COVID-19, having family members, friends, and/or relatives infected with COVI-19, and death of family members, relatives or friends due to COVID-19. Same results were also found for depression. Furthermore, depression was associated with being single, being resident in urban area, and having high risk individual in family. Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety and depression were considerably high in general population of Iran during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the findings suggest that more attention needs to be paid to vulnerable groups such as women, young/middle-aged adults, unemployed people, people with chronic disease. Thus, a holistic approach, including management policies, psychosocial interventions, training, support, and tele-mental health, is absolutely crucial to reduce mental health problems of the COVID-19 and any outbreaks of other infectious diseases.


2021 ◽  
Vol 59 (241) ◽  
pp. 881-885
Author(s):  
Pratikshya Chalise Chalise ◽  
Avilasha Singh ◽  
Era Rawal ◽  
Pravash Budhathoki ◽  
Satyasuna Sharma ◽  
...  

Introduction: Fear and anxiety is a natural response during crisis. From constant worry of getting infected, death of loved ones, transitioning of lifestyle to loss of social connection; there can be several psychological triggers. The effect on mental health on the general population could be greater than those affected by the infection itself during the pandemic. Among medical students, who already have several other psychological afflictions, these triggers might be detrimental. Hence, this study aims to find out the prevalence of composite anxiety-depression among medical undergraduates in a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among medical undergraduates in a tertiary care hospital from 20th December 2020 to 5th January 2021. Ethical approval was taken from the Institutional Review Committee. The sample size was calculated and convenient sampling was done. The data were entered in International Business Machines Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20.0. Point estimate at 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data. Results: Out of 315 participants on the Patient Health Questionnaire-Anxiety and Depression Scale, severe composite anxiety-depression was seen in 10 (3.17%) at 95% Confidence Interval (1.23-5.1) participants, moderate in 35 (11.11%) at 95% Confidence Interval (7.63-14.58) and mild in 98 (31.11%) at 95% Confidence Interval (25.99-36.22). And 172 (54.6%) at 95% Confidence Interval (49.1-60) were normal. Conclusions: The rapid rise of apprehension among people amidst infectious outbreaks can ensue and medical students are no exception. So, at this time of crisis, there is a need to protect their mental health and it should be emphasized and endorsed.


F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1304
Author(s):  
Lingkan Barua ◽  
Muhammed Shahriar Zaman ◽  
Fardina Rahman Omi ◽  
Mithila Faruque

Background: Frontline doctors are the most vulnerable and high-risk population to get the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance and fear of COVID-19 among frontline doctors of Bangladesh during the pandemic, and the associated factors for these psychological symptoms. Methods: In total, 370 frontline doctors who were involved in the treatment of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients during the pandemic took part in an online cross-sectional study. Recruitment was completed using convenience sampling and the data were collected after the start of community transmission of COVID-19 in the country. Anxiety and depression, sleep disturbance, and fear of COVID-19 were assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire-4, two-item version of the Sleep Condition Indicator, and the Fear of Coronavirus-19 scale, respectively. Socio-demographic information, health service-related information, co-morbidity, and smoking history were collected for evaluating risk factors. The proportion of psychological symptoms were presented using descriptive statistics and the associated factors were identified using multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the doctors, 36.5% had anxiety, 38.4% had depression, 18.6% had insomnia, and 31.9% had fear of COVID-19. In multinomial logistic regression, inadequate resources in the workplace were found as the single most significant predictor for all psychological outcomes: anxiety and/or depression (severe, OR 3.0, p=0.01; moderate, OR 5.3, p=0.000; mild, OR 2.3, p=0.003), sleep disturbance (moderate, OR 1.9, p=0.02), and fear of COVID-19 (severe, OR 1.9, p=0.03; moderate, OR 1.8, p=0.03). Conclusions: The study demonstrated a high burden of psychological symptoms among frontline doctors of Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Inadequate resources are contributing to the poor mental health of Bangladeshi doctors. The supply of sufficient resources in workplaces and mental health counseling may help to mitigate the burden of the psychological symptoms identified among the respondents..


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-170
Author(s):  
Zeinab Alizadeh ◽  
Awat Feizi ◽  
Mehri Rejali ◽  
Hamid Afshar ◽  
Ammar Hassanzadeh Keshteli ◽  
...  

AbstractAssociation of lifestyle-related factors and mental health has been less studied in Middle Eastern countries. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of two common mental health problems, i.e., depression and anxiety, and their lifestyle determinants in a large sample of Iranian population.This study was conducted within the framework of SEPAHAN population based cross-sectional study (N=4763(. The General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPPAQ) was used to assess physical activity and the Iranian-validated version of Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was applied to screen for anxiety and depression. Logistic regression was used as the main statistical method for data analysis by SPSS version 16.0. A P-value <0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.The risk of anxiety and depression was 2.5 (OR=2.56,95% CI: 1.97-3.33) and 2.21(1.83-2.67) times higher in women than men, respectively. With every one-year increase in the age, the risk of anxiety decreased by 2% (OR=0.98,95% CI:0.97-0.99). Individuals with higher education had 56% lower risk of anxiety (OR=0.44,95% CI: 0.36-0.55) and 46% depression (OR=0.54,95% CI: 0.46-0.64) than the undergraduate group, and the risk of depression in the inactive (less than one hour of activity per week) group was 27% higher than the active group (OR=1.27,95% CI: 1.06-1.51). The risk of anxiety in the non-smoker group was 65% (OR=0.35,95% CI: 0.20-0.59) and depression was 64% lower than among smokers (OR=0.34,95% CI:0.22-0.53). In the ex-smoker group, the risk of anxiety was 60% (OR=0.40,95% CI:0.19-0.85) and depression was 59% lower than for the smoker group (OR=0.41,95% CI: 0.24-0.73).This current study’s results demonstrated significant associations between unhealthy lifestyle factors and increased risk of anxiety and depression. Hence, special attention must be paid to preventive intervention programmes aiming to enhance healthy lifestyle among at-risk populations.


2021 ◽  
pp. 008124632110498
Author(s):  
James Roger Nsereko ◽  
Emily Claire Garman ◽  
Rizwana Roomaney

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms in secondary school students in Kampala, Uganda, and assess associations with demographic characteristics and living arrangements. In this cross-sectional study, 14- to 17-year-olds were recruited from six randomly selected schools in Kampala. Participants completed a questionnaire, covering demographic questions and the affective problems subscale of the Youth Self-Report (YSR) – a depression screening tool for minors. Scores range from 0 to 26; a minimum score of 9 and 8 for female and male participants, respectively, suggests depressive symptoms in the clinical range, according to standard (non-local) norms. Unadjusted logistic regressions were used to assess demographic (e.g., age, gender, religion, parental education) and family-related characteristics (e.g., living arrangements, household size) associated with symptoms of depression in the clinical range. In total, 503 participants were recruited, of which 26.6% had depressive symptoms in the clinical range (female: 32.5%, male: 18.1%; risk ratio [RR] = 1.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] [1.28, 2.51]). Those who reported living with only one parent (RR = 1.62, 95% CI [1.14, 2.30]) or another family member/friend (RR = 1.98, 95% CI [1.14, 2.30]) were at increased risk of depressive symptoms above clinical threshold compared with participants living with both parents. A quarter of urban low-risk school-going adolescents had depressive symptoms in the clinical range in Kampala; girls and adolescents not living with their parents were particularly vulnerable. It recommended that school staff be equipped with skills to identify students who may be at risk for depression and make appropriate referrals.


Author(s):  
Mahoor Salehi Mobarakeh ◽  
Mohammad Hassan I IEftekhari

Background: Mental disorders impose a significant health and economic burden on both developed and developing countries. The relationship between nutrition and mental disorders has become an important topic of interest in recent years. Therefore, identification of modifiable risk factors for anxiety is a serious and critical research imperative. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the “diet quality index international” (DQI-I) and anxiety as a major subject. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 194 men and women, who were randomly selected to perform the routine examinations before marriage. In this research, socio-demographic and anthropometric indicators, such a dietary intake1 and mental health were measured. To measure the former, a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was applied and to determine the latter,  a short version of the self-report depression, anxiety, and stress scale questionnaire (DASS-21) was used. Results: Univariate and multivariate linear regressions of anxiety and DQI score demonstrated significant association between DQI score and anxiety in all participants. A negative correlation was also seen between DQI score and anxiety in all participants. The anxiety scores reported for males and females did not introduce a significant difference. Adjustments for age, education, income, job, smoking, physical activity, and body mass index did not change the aforementioned associations. Conclusion: In this study, a significant association was observed between diet quality and the risk of mental disorders. The increase in DQI in participants caused a remarkable reduction in their level of anxiety. A healthy diet proved to be inversely associated with anxiety, while unhealthy dietary patterns were associated with increased risk of anxiety.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sultana A. Alhurishi ◽  
Khalid M. Almutairi ◽  
Jason M. Vinluan ◽  
Ahmad E. Aboshaiqah ◽  
Mohammed A. Marie

Objective: In this descriptive cross-sectional study we aimed, to assess the level of depression, anxiety, insomnia and distress symptoms experienced by healthcare providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia.Methods: All healthcare providers currently working in different hospitals were invited to participate in this study. Data gathering started in March 2020 to May 2020. The participants answered a five-part questionnaire which includes demographic data, a 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, a 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder, a 7-item Insomnia Severity Index, and a 22-item Impact of Event Scale-Revised, which assess the level of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress.Results: Out of 200 healthcare providers, 40% were males. 52% were aged 31–40 years old, 61% were married. The majority of the participants were Saudi nationals (84%), 74% were nurses, 11% were physicians and 15% were other healthcare providers. More than half of the participants worked as front-liners (57%). Overall, 73, 69, 62, and 83% of all healthcare providers reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia, and distress, respectively. The analysis showed severe symptoms level of depression for physicians and nurses was 35% and 20% (p &lt; 0.05), respectively. Only three of the independent variables made a unique contribution to the model (gender, profession, and working position) (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the mental health of healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia. Female nurses and healthcare providers working in the frontline who were directly treating patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of severe depression, anxiety and distress.


2021 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 003685042110264
Author(s):  
Md Azim Uddin Repon ◽  
Sajuti Akter Pakhe ◽  
Sumaiya Quaiyum ◽  
Rajesh Das ◽  
Sohel Daria ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 has been spreading across the world since December 2019. The pandemic has created tremendous fear of death from infection and awful psychological pressure on healthcare professionals (HCPs). The measures of psychological effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the Bangladeshi HCPs are unknown. The present study aimed to assess the mental health outcomes of Bangladeshi HCPs and associated risk factors. We conducted this cross-sectional study from July 15 to September 20, 2020. A total of 355 HCPs aged between 20 and 60 years residing in Bangladesh participated in this study. All the participants completed a self-administered questionnaire through Google Forms consisting of socio-demographic characteristics and mental health outcomes. We measure loneliness, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance using the UCLA loneliness scale-8, patient health questionnaire-9, 7-item generalized anxiety disorder scale, Pittsburgh sleep quality index. The present study observed the prevalence of loneliness, depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbance among HCPs were 89%, 44%, 78%, and 87%, respectively. The factors significantly associated with the development of mental health problems among HCPs were working environment, economic condition, education level, area of residence, marital status, gender differences, professional category, body mass index, and smoking habit. Moreover, we have seen significant correlations among the different mental health outcomes. In Bangladesh, a large portion of HCPs reported mental health issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 pandemic incredibly impacted the psychological health of Bangladeshi healthcare professionals. Appropriate supportive programs and interventional initiatives might help the HCPs with mental health problems during and after this pandemic.


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