scholarly journals A Review of the Philippine Policies on Mental Health of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs)

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ma-Ann M. Zarsuelo
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Overseas Filipino Workers ◽  
Psychosocial Programs

The Philippines has been lauded for its labor-export programs and is deemed as a global model of migration by other countries. With the economic and employment challenges in the country, seeking work opportunities overseas becomes a promising option. Numerous policies bring forth to the creation of government agencies that focus on labor protection and welfare promotion of migrant workers here and in their host countries, which include advancement of mental health. This paper aims to review and identify the gaps of regulatory policies that intersect the phases of migration: pre-deployment, deployment, and reintegration. Statistics and anecdotal data show that cases of distressed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are increasing given the presence of adverse working conditions across the continents. This problem is compounded by cultural stigma and financial inaccessibility of seeking mental health services. Post-repatriation issues, particularly the concerns on socio-economic reintegration is further noted. Thus, the management of mental health among OFWs calls for a comprehensive review of our existing policies and the delineation of the interrelated responsibilities of all relevant stakeholders for effective multisectoral program implementation. Synchronized endeavors of different agencies for efficient handling of psychosocial programs for OFWs in all stages of deployment is needed. Realistic and sustainable programs to address mental health issues are attainable through collaborative actions, with the foresight of focusing on prevention rather than treatment.

scholarly journals Health and well-being of Nepalese migrant workers abroad

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pratik Adhikary ◽  
Zoë A. Sheppard ◽  
Steven Keen ◽  
Edwin van Teijlingen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Factory Workers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Mental Well Being ◽  
Health And Well Being

Purpose Although South Asia is a growing supplier of migrant labour, there is a paucity of research on the health and well-being of male Nepalese migrant workers. The purpose of this paper is to assess the health and mental well-being of Nepalese construction and factory workers employed in Malaysia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Design/methodology/approach A structured questionnaire administered, in and around Nepal’s international airport, to 403 migrants who had worked for over six months in their host countries. Logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with self-reported health status and mental health symptoms. Findings Over 13 per cent reported poor or very poor health and nearly a quarter reported mental health issues. Whilst age and exercise were significantly associated with health status, poor work environments and perceived health risks were associated with both mental health issues and health status. Research limitations/implications The study is limited to males only and those working in the factories and the construction industry. To improve migrant health and mental well-being, Nepalese and host governments should consider mandatory health insurance and a range of pre-departure and arrival education around general literacy, mental health assessments and workplace health and safety. Originality/value There have been no known studies on the health and well-being of Nepalese migrant construction and factory workers in the Middle East and Malaysia. The strong association between self-reported poor health and perceived work environment is an important issue that policy makers in Nepal and destination countries should address.

scholarly journals Psychiatric morbidity and substance use in migrant workers: A population based study

2021 ◽  
pp. 002076402098888
Author(s):  
B.S. Chavan ◽  
Ajeet Sidana ◽  
Priti Arun ◽  
Ravi Rohilla ◽  
Gurvinder Pal Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
General Population ◽  
Depressive Disorder ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Migrant Population ◽  
Mental Health Issues

Background: The prevalence of mental health problems and substance abuse in the migrant population is higher than the general population. Aims and Objectives: To assess the prevalence and pattern of mental health issues and substance use in the migrant population and highlight the association with the reverse migration of migrant workers. Methodology: The field staff visited the shelter homes for migrant population in four cities of Northern India (Chandigarh (UT), Bhatinda (Punjab), Panchkula (Haryana) and Jaipur (Rajasthan). After maintaining the social distance and wearing masks by the staff and migrants, written informed consent was taken for participation in the study. The socio-demographic details of reverse migrants were noted down and Hindi version of Primary Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for mental health problems and screening tool for pattern of substance abuse was administered. Geographically matched undisplaced were also administered these tools. Results: A total of 275 reverse migrants and 276 undisplaced were included in the study. The prevalence of ever use for all the substances among reverse migrants was 44.4% (122/275) and among undisplaced, it was 45.3%. The prevalence of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis was higher than the general population. The prevalence of at least one diagnosis on PHQ-9 is 13.45% (reverse migrants 19.3% and undisplaced 7.6) and the prevalence of other depressive disorder is significantly higher in reverse migrants (17.1%) than undisplaced (4.0%). Conclusion: The study concludes that prevalence of mental health issues and substance abuse in migrant population is significantly higher than the general population and the prevalence of at least one diagnosis and other depressive disorder is significantly higher in reverse migrants than undisplaced.

scholarly journals Psychosocial and Mental Health Issues of the Migrants Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic in India: A Narrative Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 025371762110448
Author(s):  
Gurvinder Pal Singh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Research Work ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Sufficient Information ◽  
Psychosocial Issues ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Google Search ◽  
The Impact

Background: The objective of this review was to identify and synthesize the findings of the existing literature that highlighted the psychosocial and mental health issues of the migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Materials and Methods: An exploration of the PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google search, and some other manual searches was undertaken so that no relevant study was missed. A search on Indian scientific literature and cross-references retrieved was also conducted to get further information. The period of the search has been one year from March 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021. The database was searched with the terms “migrants,” “migrant workers,” “COVID-19 pandemic,” “lockdown,” “migrant population,” “mental health issues,” “psychosocial issues” to retrieve the published literature. Results: Initially, 48 research articles were retrieved and 10 of them were excluded as they had no sufficient information about mental and psychosocial challenges faced by the migrants. In the remaining 38 articles, 9 articles were original research work ( n = 9) published from India related to the impact of COVID-19 on migrants. The second category consisted of editorials or commentary or letters to the editor or policy paper on psychosocial and mental health aspects of migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic ( n = 17). The third category was 11 articles on perspectives or opinions or viewpoints ( n = 11) related to various psychosocial and mental health issues among migrants in India during the COVID-19 pandemic. Predominantly psychosocial issues found among migrants were living conditions, basic needs, family concerns, and joblessness. The mental health issues found among migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic included psychological distress, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders. Conclusion: Existing literature from India has shown that the COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted the psychosocial and mental health status of the migrants in India. This review suggests the need for more research work from the affected states of India and the development of psychosocial and mental health intervention strategies to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on migrants.

scholarly journals Philippine Mental Health Act: just an act? A call to look into the bi-directionality of mental health and economy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholle Mae Amor Maravilla ◽  
Myles Joshua Tan
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
The Philippines ◽  
Evaluation Framework ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Mental Health Act ◽  
Current State ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
The World

This article calls for an investigation into the potential bi-directionality between mental health and economics, particularly in the Philippines. Here, we talk about the three themes that contribute to misbeliefs about mental health in Philippine culture and the current state of mental health in the Philippines, including established mental and public health legislations and the lack of resources needed to address mental health concerns in the country. We also compare the Philippines with Northwestern European countries, nine of which are among the 10 happiest countries in the world. In these countries, collaboration between governments and their citizens strengthens research, monitoring, and the evaluation framework of policymaking for mental health — areas in which the Philippines must improve. Finally, we call for Filipinos to view mental health issues in a different light and to impel government and public sectors to prioritize them and to set the Philippine Mental Health Act into motion.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document