Background: Housemaids are a relatively homogenous immigrant subgroup in terms of their gender; ethnic origin; and socio-cultural, educational and occupational background. Psychiatric morbidity among housemaids is two to five times higher than the native female population. Aims: To determine the possible pre-immigration risk factors for prospective psychiatric breakdown among the housemaids. Methods: The sample consisted of all the housemaids (N = 197) hospitalised during the two-year study period. The controls comprised all the newly arrived housemaids (N = 502). The measures obtained included demographic characteristics and previous history of physical illness, psychiatric illness, hospitalisation and family history of psychiatric disorder. Results: More than a quarter of the hospitalised group broke down within one month of their arrival. The hospitalised group had a significant excess of Sri Lankan housemaids; non-Muslims; those with less than four years of education and those with a previous history of physical illness, psychiatric illness or hospitalisation. Conclusions: A number of potential risk factors results in premature repatriation of housemaids on mental health grounds. Preventive measures involving recruitment procedures and pre-departure orientation courses are needed to minimise the expatriate failure among the housemaids.

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education prospective study immigrant depression hospitalization demography occupational disease human Ethnic Groups ethnic group controlled study morbidity Kuwait physical disease Mental Disorders Sri Lanka mental disease foreign worker Humans Adolescent female stress preventive health service risk factor adjustment disorder Risk Factors Article major clinical study adult family history manic depressive psychosis occupational health Transients and Migrants Medical History Taking social class Housekeeping Hospitals, Psychiatric