Traumatic events, migration characteristics and psychiatric symptoms among Somali refugees--preliminary communication.
BACKGROUND
Each refugee group experiences specific migration and resettlement experiences. There are no epidemiological data on risk factors for psychiatric symptoms among adult Somalis in the UK.


METHODS
We interviewed a community sample of 180 Somalis. We assessed the relationship between symptoms of psychosis (BPRS), anxiety and depression (SCL-90) and suicidal thinking (BDI) and migration-related experiences such as traumatic events, immigration difficulties, employment and income.


RESULTS
Anxiety and depression was incrementally more common with each pre-migration traumatic event (OR per trauma event = 1.31, 1.06-1.62, p = 0.01). Shortages of food, being lost in a war situation, and being close to death and suffering serious injury were each related to specific psychiatric symptoms. Suicidal thinking was more common among Somalis who were unemployed before migration and those using qat in the UK.


CONCLUSIONS
War-related experiences, occupational status before migration and current Qat use are risk factors for psychiatric symptoms among Somali refugees.
Bhui
Kamaldeep
K
Barts & The London Medical School, Institute of Community, Health Sciences, Queen Mary, London E1 4NS, UK. k.s.bhui@mds.qmw.ac.uk
Abdi
Abdisalama
A
Abdi
Mahad
M
Pereira
Stephen
S
Dualeh
Mohammed
M
Robertson
David
D
Sathyamoorthy
Ganesh
G
Ismail
Hellena
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003710:Demography; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012998:Somalia / Q000208:ethnology; D040921:Stress Disorders, Traumatic / Q000208:ethnology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology