International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume 16, Issue 15, 2019

Suicidal ideation and severity of distress among refugees residing in asylum accommodations in Sweden (Article) (Open Access)

Leiler A.* , Hollifield M. , Wasteson E. , Bjärtå A.
  • a Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, 831 25, Sweden
  • b War Survivors Institute, Long Beach, CA 90815, United States
  • c Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, 831 25, Sweden
  • d Department of Psychology and Social Work, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, 831 25, Sweden

Abstract

Refugees worldwide suffer high levels of distress and are at increased risk for death by suicide. The Refugee Health Screener (RHS) was developed to screen for emotional distress among refugees and can be used to assess distress severity. This paper examines the association between distress severity and suicidal ideation in a sample of refugees residing in asylum accommodations. Data from the RHS and item 9 on the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was analyzed. Results showed that individuals at moderate and severe levels of distress were much more likely to exhibit suicidal ideation than individuals with low levels of distress. Even though we cannot conclude that individuals with low levels of distress do not have thoughts of ending their lives, further suicide assessment is warranted in asylum seekers with moderate to severe distress on the RHS. © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Author Keywords

Severity of distress Refugees Suicidal ideation

Index Keywords

refugee mass screening mental health human controlled study asylum seeker Sweden cross-sectional study male female Patient Health Questionnaire 9 Article major clinical study adult mortality rate distress syndrome disease severity disease association Suicide public health suicidal ideation psychological distress assessment
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85070980526&doi=10.3390%2fijerph16152751&partnerID=40&md5=24b07bdf6bbc82b7101242050003afdb
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16152751
ISSN: 16617827
Original Language: English