Prevalence of sleep disturbance and its relationships with mental health and psychosocial issues in refugees and asylum seekers attending psychological services in Australia

Lies, July; Mellor, Alix; Jobson, Laura; Drummond, Sean P.A.

doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2019.06.002

Cited by 21 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 26 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In summary, sleep disturbance is common in those who have been exposed to trauma, it is nearly ubiquitous in refugees, and it is associated with symptoms of PTSD. 18 However, there are at least 2 key gaps in the literature limiting our understanding of the associations between sleep and mental health in refugees. First, no study to date has used both objective (eg, actigraphy) and selfreported (eg, sleep diaries) measures in an attempt to more fully characterize sleep in refugees.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postmigration stress and sleep disturbances mediate the relationship between trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms among Syrian and Iraqi refugees

Lies

Jobson

Mascaro

et al. 2021

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Study Objectives: Sleep disturbance is common in those who experience trauma. In a sample of nontreatment-seeking refugees, we examined the associations between trauma exposure, postmigration stress, sleep symptoms, and posttraumatic psychological symptoms. Methods: Syrian and Iraqi refugees (n = 86; 51% female; mean age = 45 years) residing in Australia were recruited from the local community. Cross-sectional descriptive design, multinominal regression analyses, and mediation analyses were used. Participants completed measures in Arabic assessing premigration trauma exposure, postmigration stress, sleep symptoms, and mental health. They also completed 7 days of sleep diaries and actigraphy. Results: We identified 34.9% of the participants as normal sleepers, 32.6% as probably having insomnia, and 32.6% as likely having insomnia. Variables associated with greater sleep disturbance (McFadden's R 2 = 0.57) included greater trauma exposure, increased time of resettlement, greater postmigration stress, and greater presleep arousal. The association of premigration trauma exposure to current posttraumatic symptoms was mediated sequentially by postmigration stress and sleep symptoms. Conclusions: Our findings highlight the extent of sleep disturbance in refugees. We found evidence for an indirect pathway between trauma exposure and posttraumatic symptoms through premigration stress and sleep (particularly presleep arousal). In the current global refugee crisis, improving the existing system of care in countries experiencing increased migration is critical. Because sleep disturbance is a modifiable condition associated with mental health, targeting sleep could be an important component of psychological interventions for refugees.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Postmigration stress and sleep disturbances mediate the relationship between trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms among Syrian and Iraqi refugees

Lies

Jobson

Mascaro

et al. 2021

Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This effect was perceived by Elim as impacting mental health specifically: "to be honest, nightmares, bad dreams, like shakes, suddenly you wake up, like a panic". This sheds light on research indicating sleep disturbances to be particularly prevalent amongst asylum seekers (Lies et al, 2019).…”

Section: Living In Fearmentioning

confidence: 70%

Seeking asylum in Bristol: insights into psychological needs and resilience

Flothmann

Josselin

2021

IJMHSC

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to share research findings on the lived experiences of asylum seekers in Bristol (UK), with a particular focus on psychological needs and sources of resilience. Design/methodology/approach The study was designed following the principles of action research and was carried out in three phases involving nine co-researchers. Thematic analysis was used to interpret the resulting data, collected through semi-structured interviews. Findings The findings highlight challenges which are faced by asylum seekers after migrating to the UK and indicate how these do not allow for psychological needs to be met, undermining resilience. Co-researchers indicated that aspects of the asylum system were perceived as unfair, adding to existing losses and promoting fear. Strength was found through engaging with communities and religious practices. Practical implications The research suggests that asylum seekers feel misrepresented and misunderstood within the public realm and raises serious questions around the current asylum legislation. It offers practitioners insight into key determinants for psychological well-being from the perspective of asylum seekers, providing suggestions for sensitive and appropriate interventions. Originality/value The study offers original insights into asylum seekers’ experiences, with a specific focus on Bristol. The use of action research and the involvement of asylum seekers as co-researchers are also noteworthy, as collaborative research is scarce in this field.

show abstract

“…Another study published in 2007 reported that shiftwork can induce sleep apnea among patients and acute sleep deprivation may worsen the obstructive sleep apnea index [ 46 ]. Addressing sleep disorders and providing shift preference to EMS professionals may help to reduce depression and anxiety and improve mental and physical health [ 47 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychosocial Work Stress and Occupational Stressors in Emergency Medical Services

Bardhan

Byrd

2023

Healthcare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Emergency medical service (EMS) professionals often experience work stress, which escalated during COVID-19. High job demand in the EMS profession may lead to progressive decline in physical and mental health. We investigated the prevalence of psychosocial job stress in the three levels of EMS: basic, advanced, and paramedic, before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. EMS professionals (n = 36) were recruited from EMS agencies following the Institutional Review Board approval. Participants took surveys on demographics, personal characteristics, chronic diseases, and work schedules. Job stress indicators, namely the effort–reward ratio (ERR) and overcommitment (OC), were evaluated from survey questionnaires using the effort–reward imbalance model. Associations of job stress indicators with age, sex, body mass index, and working conditions were measured by logistic regression. Psychosocial work stress was prevalent with effort reward ratio > 1 in 83% of participants and overcommitment scores > 13 in 89% of participants. Age, body mass index, and work hours showed strong associations with ERR and OC scores. The investigation findings suggested that a psychosocial work environment is prevalent among EMS, as revealed by high ERR, OC, and their correlation with sleep apnea in rotating shift employees. Appropriate interventions may be helpful in reducing psychosocial work stress in EMS professionals.

show abstract

Prevalence of sleep disturbance and its relationships with mental health and psychosocial issues in refugees and asylum seekers attending psychological services in Australia

Cited by 21 publications

References 26 publications

Postmigration stress and sleep disturbances mediate the relationship between trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms among Syrian and Iraqi refugees

Postmigration stress and sleep disturbances mediate the relationship between trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress symptoms among Syrian and Iraqi refugees

Seeking asylum in Bristol: insights into psychological needs and resilience

Psychosocial Work Stress and Occupational Stressors in Emergency Medical Services

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About