Psychiatric morbidity among housemaids in Kuwait. III: Vulnerability factors.
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.


OBJECTIVE
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.
Zahid
Muhammad Ajmal
MA
Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Safat.
Fido
Abdullahi A
AA
Alowaish
Rashed
R
Abd El-Motaal Mohsen
Mohamed
M
Abdul Razik
Mohammed
M
D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006796:Household Work; D006801:Humans; D007730:Kuwait / Q000453:epidemiology; D008487:Medical History Taking; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009017:Morbidity; D012307:Risk Factors; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology*