Employment status, duration of residence and mental health among skilled migrants to New Zealand: results of a longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
To report findings on employment, duration of residence and mental health from a longitudinal study of 107 skilled immigrants to New Zealand from the People's Republic of China, India and South Africa.


METHODS
Demographic and employment data were collected by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire that included (as the mental health instrument) the General Health Questionnaire 12 (GHQ-12). The initial interview took place after the immigrants had been resident in New Zealand for an average of five months. Four subsequent interviews were conducted annually (1999-2002) on or about the anniversary of the first interview.


CONCLUSIONS
Rather than an initial euphoric period followed by a mental health crisis, the results indicated poor mental health status in the first two years irrespective of employment status. Thereafter, mental health slightly improved as did employment rates. A surprising result was that although the South Africans had the highest employment rate, there were neither substantial mental health differences among the three groups nor was there a significant improvement during the course of the longitudinal study.
Pernice
Regina
R
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand. R.E.Pernice@massey.ac.nz
Trlin
Andrew
A
Henderson
Anne
A
North
Nicola
N
Skinner
Monica
M
D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004651:Employment; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000208:ethnology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health / Q000145:classification*; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010560:Personnel Selection / Q000592:standards; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012036:Refugees / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D013997:Time Factors