title: Refugees, labour migrants and psychological distress. A population-based study of 338 Latin-American refugees, 161 south European and 396 Finnish labour migrants, and 996 Swedish age-, sex- and education-matched controls.
abstract: This paper shows the strength and influence of ethnicity on mental health in comparison with material factors and lifestyle, which are well-known risk factors for psychological distress. The focus was on health differences between Latin-American refugees and labour migrants from Finland and the south of Europe. The study was designed as a population-based cross-sectional study, with 338 Latin-American refugees aged 16-74 years (response rate = 81.8%) in Lund, a random sample of 396 Finnish and 161 South European labour migrants, and 996 age-, sex- and education-matched Swedish controls from the Swedish Annual Level-of-living Surveys. The data were analysed unmatched with logistic regression in main effect models. The strongest independent risk indicator for self-reported psychological distress was being a non-European refugee, i.e. a Latin-American refugee, with an estimated odds ratio of 4.39 (2.49-7.31). There was a non-significant association in logistic regression between South European labour migrants and psychological distress, but a crude odds ratio of 2.29 (1.09-4.81). There was no association between Finnish labour migrants and psychological distress. Not feeling secure in daily life was a strong risk indicator for psychological distress, with an estimated odds ratio of 3.29 (1.90-5.45).
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Centre, University of Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sundquist
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007843:Latin America / Q000208:ethnology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*