scholarly journals Perceived Risk Factors for Suicide among Nepalese Migrant Workers in South Korea

Author(s):  
Madhu Sudhan Atteraya ◽  
Nasser B. Ebrahim ◽  
Shreejana Gnawali

(1) Background: In South Korea, far from their homeland, Nepalese migrant workers often face tremendous challenges. The most severe outcome for migrant workers is death by suicide—a major cause of premature death among migrant workers. Nevertheless, in the literature, key factors associated with suicide among Nepalese migrant workers are not specifically identified. Thus, we aimed to delineate the main suicide risk factors for this group of migrants. (2) Methods: We used qualitative research methodology (sample = 20; male =17, female = 3) and employed nominal group techniques to identify the perceived primary risk factors for suicide. (3) Results: Study participants identified and ranked eight sources of distress and perceived risks for suicide, both from home and in the host country. Perceived risks for suicide include a complex set of socio-cultural, behavioral, occupational, physical, and mental health issues as well as communication barriers. (4) Conclusions: The findings suggest the need to design tailored mental health promotion programs for migrant workers before departure from Nepal as well as after arrival as migrant workers in South Korea.

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackson Alun ◽  
Barbara Murphy

Loneliness and social isolation are increasingly being acknowledged as risk factors for both physical and mental health problems. Recent statistics demonstrate that loneliness and isolation are on the rise internationally, to the point of being classed as an epidemic. In this paper, the authors outline some of the recent research linking loneliness and isolation to significant chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes; mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression; cognitive disorders and dementia. Isolation has also been shown to compromise recovery after acute cardiac events, being associated with increased hospital readmission and premature death. Indeed, isolation has now been identified as a risk factor equivalent in effect to traditional risk factors such as smoking, hypertension and obesity. While distinguishing between objective and subjective indicators of isolation, the authors highlight the complexity of this phenomenon, both in terms of definition and measurement, as well as the interplay between subjective and objective indicators. Important clinical implications for health professionals working with cardiac patients are also proposed, in terms of screening for isolation, and possible interventions to support patients at risk of isolation. The aim of the current article is to emphasise the importance of acknowledging loneliness and isolation as key risk factors requiring urgent attention, both in research and in clinical practice.


BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. e017303
Author(s):  
Veera Veromaa ◽  
Hannu Kautiainen ◽  
Päivi Elina Korhonen

ObjectivesWork engagement is related to mental health, but studies of physical health’s association with work engagement are scarce. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between physical health, psychosocial risk factors and work engagement among Finnish women in municipal work units.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in 2014 among 726 female employees from 10 municipal work units of the city of Pori, Finland. Work engagement was assessed with the nine-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The American Heart Association’s concept of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) was used to define physical health (non-smoking, body mass index <25.0 kg/m2, physical activity at goal, healthy diet, total cholesterol <5.18mmol/L, blood pressure <120/80 mm Hg, normal glucose tolerance). Psychosocial risk factors (social isolation, stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety, hostility and type D personality) were included as core questions suggested by 2012 European Guidelines on cardiovascular disease prevention.ResultsOf the study subjects, 25.2% had favourable 5–7 CVH metrics. The sum of CVH metrics, healthy diet and physical activity at goal were positively associated with work engagement. In subjects without psychosocial risk factors (36.7%), work engagement was high and stable. Presence of even one psychosocial risk factor was associated with a lower level of work engagement regardless of the sum of ideal CVH metrics.ConclusionsBoth physical and mental health factors have a positive relationship with work engagement, whereas the presence of even one psychosocial risk factor has a negative association regardless of the level of classic cardiovascular risk factors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 302-312
Author(s):  
KS Oritogun ◽  
OO Oyewole

Background: Stroke is one of the major public health problems worldwide. Physical and mental health data of stroke survivors are often expressed in proportions. Therefore, the Beta Regression models family for data between zero and one will be appropriate. Objectives: To identify a suitable model and the likely risk factors of physical and mental health of stroke survivors. Method: Secondary data of stroke survivors from two tertiary health Institutions in Ogun State, Nigeria, were analysed. Inflated Beta (BEINF) and Inflated-at-one-Beta (BEINF1) models were compared using Deviance (DEV), Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) and Bayesian Information Criteria (BIC) for model selection. The model with minimum DEV, AIC and BIC was considered to be better. Results: The deviance (-86.0604,), AIC (-46.0604) and BIC (6.4391) values of the BEINF1 model for physical health and the deviance (-20.1217), AIC (19.8783) and BIC (72.3778) values of BEINF1 model for mental health were smaller than BEINF models. Therefore, BEINF1 was the better model to identify the health risk factors of stroke survivors. Age, marital status, diastolic blood pressure, disability duration and systolic blood pressure had a significant association with physical health, while BMI had a significant positive association with mental health.  Conclusion: The beta-inflated-at-one (BEINF1) model is suitable for identifying health risk factors of stroke survivors when the outcome variable is a proportion. Both demographic and clinical characteristics were significantly associated with the health of stroke survivors. This study would assist researchers in knowing the appropriate model for analysing proportion or percentage response variables.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-128
Author(s):  
Amanda Wright ◽  
Lynn Pyun ◽  
Eunhee Ha ◽  
Jungsun Kim ◽  
Hae Soon Kim ◽  
...  

Women account for over eighty percent of recent North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea, yet there is dearth of gender-based research. Given the speed with which the dialogue on denuclearization with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea) has progressed since 2017, there is a surprising gap in research on possible health threats. If sanctions are eased, interactions with these previously isolated people will increase leading to potential health problems. This article reviews studies published since 2000 to understand physical and mental health faced in DPRK, among North Korean defectors to South Korea, and to provide policy recommendations. A content analysis of ninety studies found that mental health challenges are severe for North Korean defectors, and that women suffer differently than men during defection and its aftermath. We recommend a more nuanced and gendered approach for future research in order to devise tangible solutions to improve the health of North Koreans in general, and defector women and children in particular.


Author(s):  
Kathleen Taylor

Would everyone get dementia if we lived long enough? ‘Risk factors’ focuses on the genetic, environmental, and physiological factors that makes dementia more or less likely to affect us. The media often distorts scientific findings with false correlations. We must be aware of these ourselves, particularly in relation to cause and effect; a factor that we may see as a cause of dementia might be a symptom. Risk factors include age, overall poor physical and mental health, blood sugar, blood and brain function, inflammation, and not using the brain. Many of these can be modified, even the effects of ageing, but there is no single cause or one-size-fits-all solution.


2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 31-55
Author(s):  
Petra Mlakar ◽  
Janez Stare

Presenteeism, or the act of attending work while sick or despite feeling unwell, is a relatively new concept in the sphere of work. It is a phenomenon that has begun to be monitored more intensively around the world in the last decade. Presenteeism can affect an employee’s work in various ways and its consequences mean that it is already a problem in itself. Employers devote too little attention to it or are frequently not even aware of it. The majority of employers are in fact too often focused on the growing problem of absence from work because of sickness (absenteeism) and on eliminating the negative consequences of absenteeism, and do not (yet) see presenteeism as a problem. The research presented in this article deals with the question of the impact of employee characteristics on the phenomenon of presenteeism. The characteristics considered included ambition, financial worries, job security, sick leave and the physical and mental health of employees.


2020 ◽  
pp. 2277436X2096898
Author(s):  
Sangeeta Yadav ◽  
Kumar Ravi Priya

The internal migrant workers in India, despite being highly vulnerable in terms of physical and mental health, have remained the backbone of the Indian economy. However, the recent lockdown situation created by pandemic has put them in a more precarious condition. On one hand, they have lost their jobs and earnings, while on the other, they did not have enough resources to survive at the place of migration. As a result, the nation witnessed mass exodus, where men, women, children were seen returning to their native places on foot. This article, through a critical review of interdisciplinary and ethnographic research, focuses on the status of migrant workers in India amidst lockdown and strategies that may help to mitigate the situation. This article also explores the future course of action that can improve migrant workers’ condition.


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