Post-migration Social–Environmental Factors Associated with Mental Health Problems Among Asylum Seekers: A Systematic Review

Jannesari, Sohail; Hatch, Stephani L.; Prina, Matthew; Oram, Siân

doi:10.1007/s10903-020-01025-2

Cited by 59 publications

(63 citation statements)

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“…The use of the legal term 'asylum seeker' Our review (Jannesari et al, 2020), as well as the appraised reviews (Patel, 2011;Ryan et al, 2009), used the legal definition of asylum seeker to define study population. This reflects standard practice in forced migration literature and the lack of viable alternatives.…”

Section: Variation In Risk Factor Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our review's (Jannesari et al ., 2020) updated figures comprise 29 distinct social environmental factors (i.e. the relationships, culture, government and settings people live in) that were tested for association with mental disorder among people seeking asylum in at least three studies.…”

Section: The Range Of Risk Factors Investigatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Homelessness was rarely assessed by the studies in our review's (Jannesari et al ., 2020) updated statistics. Homelessness is a risk for those seeking asylum as Government support may be difficult to access and many might not be eligible to receive it.…”

Section: The Range Of Risk Factors Investigatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our review's (Jannesari et al ., 2020) updated statistics only identified four types of risk factor relating to working and working conditions. Though unemployment was well-researched (28 studies), crucial factors were omitted.…”

Section: The Range Of Risk Factors Investigatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We address each point using statistics and reflections from our systematic review of social environmental risk factors for mental disorder in people seeking asylum (Jannesari et al ., 2020). Descriptive statistics on risk factors, outcome measures and population are drawn from review results, appendices and preparatory work.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Seeking sanctuary: rethinking asylum and mental health

Jannesari

Hatch

Oram

2020

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

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Forced migrants are at an increased risk of mental disorder compared to host country populations. To effectively address this, programmatic and policy responses need to be underpinned by rigorous evidence. Drawing on our experience conducting a systematic review of post-migration risk factors for mental disorder among asylum seekers and our appraisal of related systematic reviews, this paper discusses four challenges facing the field: (1) The reliance on Western conceptions of mental health. (2) The investigation, to date, of a relatively narrow range of potential risk factors. (3) The lack of consistency in the measurement and reporting of risk factor variables. (4) The use of the legal term ‘asylum seeker’ to define study populations. We suggest potential ways forward, including using mental health measures developed in collaboration with communities affected by forced migration, the examination of key risk factors around homelessness and workers' rights, the development of a core set of risk factors to be investigated in each study, and defining study populations using the conceptual category of ‘sanctuary seekers’ – people who have fled their country and are asking another country for safety and residence.

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Section: Variation In Risk Factor Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Range Of Risk Factors Investigatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Range Of Risk Factors Investigatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Range Of Risk Factors Investigatedmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Seeking sanctuary: rethinking asylum and mental health

Jannesari

Hatch

Oram

2020

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

Self Cite

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Depressive symptoms among recent Latinx immigrants in South Florida: The role of premigration trauma and stress, postimmigration stress, and gender

Vazquez

Rojas

Cano

et al. 2021

Journal of Traumatic Stress

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In the past decade, recent Latinx immigrants (RLIs) from South and Central America have arrived in the United States seeking asylum from countries affected by war, political upheaval, and high crime and poverty rates. The premigration stress and trauma they experience are further compounded by postimmigration stress due to discrimination, lack of access to health care, and financial instability. Evidence suggests RLIs who experience such stress and trauma have an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms. We examined the combined effect of premigration stress and trauma and postimmigration stress on postimmigration depressive symptoms; we also explored the moderating effect of gender. Hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted on a cross-sectional sample of 540 young adult RLIs (age range: 18-34 years, 50.2% men) in South Florida. Higher levels of postimmigration stress, β = .37, p < .001, were associated with increased postimmigration depressive symptoms. No significant associations emerged between premigration stress and trauma and postimmigration depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed no significant interaction effect of gender. Post hoc analyses indicated that country/region of origin moderated the relation between postimmigration stress and depressive symptoms such that the association was stronger among Venezuelan, β = 1.51, p < .001; other South American, β = 1.06, p < .001; and Central American/Mexican RLIs, β = 1.38, p < .001, compared with Caribbean RLIs, β = .45, p = .122. These findings suggest that interventions focused on addressing postimmigration stress early in the immigration process can potentially lower subsequent depressive symptoms among RLIs.

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International migration and its influence on health

Squires

Thompson

Sadarangani

et al. 2022

Research in Nursing & Health

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What would it take for you to leave your home and everything you know? What if you left knowing you might not be able to return? If you had to leave quickly, what would you take with you? These are questions that many immigrants must grapple with because of their circumstances. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the global migration of humans had reached the highest levels in recorded human history.International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the global institution that studies and helps inform international laws regarding human migration. This organization posits that 1 in every 30 persons globally is classified broadly as a migrant (IOM, 2022). As the world transitions into the COVID-19 postpandemic phase, it is estimated that the number of global migrants will return to prepandemic levels within a decade, if not sooner (IOM, 2021).The IOM has promulgated a set of internationally standardized definitions for people who have migrated in Table 1. Although the broadest term is migrant, other terms may be useful to clinicians and researchers, and appreciated by clients and participants, because they classify migrants into various terms that convey the basis for the migration or the migrant's status. Examples are migrant worker, asylum seeker, refugee, undocumented migrant, and immigrant.Notably, IOM stresses that no human being should be classified as illegal in reference to their residential status in a country. The term illegal is reductive, dehumanizing, xenophobic, and oftentimes rooted in racist ideas.Immigrants face many challenges when adapting to life in the host country, including when navigating the healthcare system.Common challenges immigrants experience when navigating the healthcare system are language barriers, changes in socioeconomic status, changes in social support networks, barriers with accultura-

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Post-migration Social–Environmental Factors Associated with Mental Health Problems Among Asylum Seekers: A Systematic Review

Cited by 59 publications

References 50 publications

Seeking sanctuary: rethinking asylum and mental health

Seeking sanctuary: rethinking asylum and mental health

Depressive symptoms among recent Latinx immigrants in South Florida: The role of premigration trauma and stress, postimmigration stress, and gender

International migration and its influence on health

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