Scandinavian Journal of Public Health
Volume 44, Issue 3, 2016, Pages 281-290

The ethnic gap in mental health: A population-based study of Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin migrants in Finland (Article)

Rask S.* , Suvisaari J. , Koskinen S. , Koponen P. , Mölsä M. , Lehtisalo R. , Schubert C. , Pakaslahti A. , Castaneda A.E.
  • a National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, Helsinki, FI-00271, Finland
  • b National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, Helsinki, FI-00271, Finland
  • c National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, Helsinki, FI-00271, Finland
  • d National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, Helsinki, FI-00271, Finland
  • e National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, Helsinki, FI-00271, Finland
  • f University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
  • g University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland
  • h University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
  • i National Institute for Health and Welfare, P.O. Box 30, Helsinki, FI-00271, Finland

Abstract

Aims: Research demonstrates that migrants are more vulnerable to poor mental health than general populations, but population-based studies with distinct migrant groups are scarce. We aim to (1) assess the prevalence of mental health symptoms in Russian, Somali and Kurdish origin migrants in Finland; (2) compare the prevalence of mental health symptoms in these migrant groups to the Finnish population; (3) determine which socio-demographic factors are associated with mental health symptoms. Methods: We used data from the Finnish Migrant Health and Wellbeing Study and Health 2011 Survey. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25), and 1.75 was used as cut-off for clinically significant symptoms. Somatization was measured using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) somatization scale. The age-adjusted prevalence of mental health symptoms in the studied groups was calculated by gender using predicted margins. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine which socio-demographic factors are associated with mental health symptoms in the studied population groups. Results: The prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms was higher in Russian women (24%) and Kurdish men (23%) and women (49%) than in the Finnish population (9-10%). These differences were statistically significant (p <.001). Socioeconomic disadvantage (e.g. unemployment and poor economic situation) and migration-related factors (e.g. poor language proficiency and short time since migration) significantly increased the odds for depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions: Mental health symptoms are highly prevalent particularly in Kurdish migrants in Finland. Holistic interventions and co-operation between integration and mental health services are acutely needed. © Associations of Public Health in the Nordic Countries Regions.

Author Keywords

Migrants Immigrant population-based study Depression Mental health Anxiety somatization

Index Keywords

anxiety Russia depression Finland health disparity Health Status Disparities human epidemiology middle aged statistics and numerical data Iraq Health Surveys ethnology Iran Cross-Sectional Studies Young Adult cross-sectional study Humans psychology Adolescent male female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics prevalence adult migration Somalia Transients and Migrants Russian Federation health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84962761804&doi=10.1177%2f1403494815619256&partnerID=40&md5=ce3a1c0a9caa14b90d5f7c605a0af667
DOI: 10.1177/1403494815619256
ISSN: 14034948
Cited by: 16
Original Language: English