To assess the psychosocial health of migrant employees compared to non-migrants, 750 (551 migrant and 199 non-migrant) people employed in Ahmedabad were randomly included in the study. 25.6 percent of the migrant employees revealed addictive habits compared to 15.1 percent of the nonmigrants (p=0.0000). Cardio-vascular or musculo-skeletal conditions were the most frequently cited stress conditions by migrant (3.6%) and non-migrant (3.6%) employees respectively. But the difference in the pattern and frequency of stress-related disorders amongst the migrant versus non-migrants was statistically not significant (p=0.96). Overall stress, experienced by the migrant employees within one year of migration (15.6%) was more compared with the lifetime stress (9.3%). The migrants in the eldest category (51-60 years) were maximally stressed (24.3%) followed by the young entrants, 21-30 years (19.1%). Amongst the non-migrants, the youngest (21-30 years old) were maximally stressed (15.4%). Both migrant and non-migrant employees were found almost equally to suffer (14.0% and 15.5% respectively, p=0.58) from non-psychotic psychiatric conditions. The above findings indicate higher vulnerability to stress and stress-related manifestations by migrant employees. It underscores the need for organized employment and to establish help-lines and set-ups for extending care, help and support for such migrant employees. This should include rendering help in terms of accommodation, settling-in, social interaction, medical care, counselling, information and advice particularly during the first year of their migration.

Stress and Psycho-social health addiction Migrant employees

controlled study major clinical study stress social interaction social psychology addiction social support cardiovascular symptom migrant worker musculoskeletal disease Article medical care mental disease patient counseling mental health human adult