Waiting for family reunification and the risk of mental disorders among refugee fathers: a 24-year longitudinal cohort study from Denmark

Hvidtfeldt, Camilla; Petersen, Jørgen Holm; Nørredam, Marie

doi:10.1007/s00127-021-02170-1

Cited by 15 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…One study in Germany found that family separation among refugees contributes to worse mental health conditions ( 40 ). A longitudinal cohort study in Denmark found that refugee men awaiting reunification with their wives and children were at an increased risk of mental disorders ( 41 ). Additionally, not only are adverse psychosocial experiences involved in the onset of hypertension, parental separation has been associated with the onset of hypertension in women separated from their parents ( 42 , 43 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of United States refugee ban and discrimination on the mental health of hypertensive Arabic-speaking refugees

Albahsahli,

Bridi,

Aljenabi

et al. 2023

Front. Psychiatry

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BackgroundHypertension is a global leading cause of death which disproportionately affects refugees. This chronic disease increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, brain, and other end-organ disease, if left uncontrolled. The 2017 United States travel or “Muslim” ban prevented immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, including Syria and Iraq; two major contributors to the global refugee population. As of 2020, the United States has admitted more than 133,000 and 22,000 Iraqi and Syrian refugees, respectively. Studies on the health effects of this policy on refugees are lacking. This study qualitatively explores the impact of the refugee ban on United States resettled Syrian and Iraqi refugees with hypertension.MethodsParticipants were recruited through a federally qualified health center system that is the largest healthcare provider for refugees in San Diego, CA. All participants were Arabic-speaking refugees diagnosed with hypertension from Syria and Iraq. In-depth interviews took place between April 2021 and April 2022. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze data from semi-structured interviews.ResultsParticipants (N = 109) include 53 women and 56 men (23 Syrian, 86 Iraqi). The average age was 61.3 years (SD: 9.7) and stay in the United States was 9.5 years (SD 5.92). Four themes emerged linking the travel ban’s impact on health, in line with the society to cells framework: (1) family factors: the refugee ban resulted in family separation; (2) physiological factors: the refugee ban worsened participants’ mental health, exacerbating hypertension and perceived health outcomes; (3) community factors: perpetuation of Islamophobia, xenophobia, and perceived discrimination were structural barriers with links to poorer health; and (4) individual factors: trickle down consequences led to worsened participant self-image and self-perception within their host community.DiscussionThe refugee ban negatively impacted the mental and physical health of United States resettled Arabic-speaking refugees through perceived discrimination, stress, and poor social integration. It continues to have long-lasting effects years after the ban was instated. Centering family reunification within the United States Refugee Admissions Program and tailoring interventions through the healthcare and public health systems are warranted to reduce hypertension disparities in this growing and overlooked population.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of United States refugee ban and discrimination on the mental health of hypertensive Arabic-speaking refugees

Albahsahli,

Bridi,

Aljenabi

et al. 2023

Front. Psychiatry

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“…Lastly, the majority of our study population had resided in the U.S. for a significant amount of time. Indeed, the length of time can impact the strength of the relationship between separation and negative health outcomes (Hvidtfeldt et al, 2021). Less is known about the specific disorders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Familias Divididas [divided families]: Transnational family separation and undocumented Latinx immigrant health.

Galvan¹,

Rusch²,

Rodríguez³

et al. 2022

Journal of Family Psychology

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Undocumented Latinx immigrants (ULIs) comprise a large segment of the U.S. population, yet they remain at high risk for diminished health outcomes due to increased exposure to adverse experiences and context. Transnational family separation and the distress that accompanies it is an example of a common adverse experience that is chronic and that impacts the lives of many ULIs. However, despite how chronic and central transnationalism is to the lives of ULIs, little is known about its relation to the health outcomes of ULIs. To that end, this study examined the relation between distress due to transnational family separation and the physical and mental health of ULIs. To do so, the study utilized respondent-driven sampling and path analysis methodologies to cross-sectionally examine how distress from transnational separation was related to the physical and mental health of ULIs (n = 229). Results revealed that as distress from transnational family separation increased so too did participant's depressive (β = .25, p < .001), anxiety (β = .18, p = .006), and physical symptoms (β = .24, p < .0001). Distress from transnational family separation was also more strongly related to physical and depressive symptoms than to anxiety symptoms. Considering these results, important systemic changes to our approach to healthcare delivery and access among ULIs communities are needed to promote the well-being of this at-risk population. Recommendations for doing so are discussed.

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“…These may include poverty, lack of employment opportunities, food insecurity, conflict, violence, and natural disasters 122,123 . The act of migrating also involves displacement and dislocation, which may be traumatic, compromise personal safety, create uncertainty and stress, and involve prolonged separation from family 124‐126 , and high levels of risk to life or personal safety 124 . For example, between 40 and 90% of asylum seekers report traumatic experiences during migration 118,122,127 , including violence, exploitation, and detainment during the asylum‐seeking process 128 .…”

Section: Social Determinants That Impact Mental Health and Disorder: ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and recommendations

Kirkbride,

Anglin,

Colman

et al. 2024

World Psychiatry

134

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People exposed to more unfavourable social circumstances are more vulnerable to poor mental health over their life course, in ways that are often determined by structural factors which generate and perpetuate intergenerational cycles of disadvantage and poor health. Addressing these challenges is an imperative matter of social justice. In this paper we provide a roadmap to address the social determinants that cause mental ill health. Relying as far as possible on high‐quality evidence, we first map out the literature that supports a causal link between social determinants and later mental health outcomes. Given the breadth of this topic, we focus on the most pervasive social determinants across the life course, and those that are common across major mental disorders. We draw primarily on the available evidence from the Global North, acknowledging that other global contexts will face both similar and unique sets of social determinants that will require equitable attention. Much of our evidence focuses on mental health in groups who are marginalized, and thus often exposed to a multitude of intersecting social risk factors. These groups include refugees, asylum seekers and displaced persons, as well as ethnoracial minoritized groups; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) groups; and those living in poverty. We then introduce a preventive framework for conceptualizing the link between social determinants and mental health and disorder, which can guide much needed primary prevention strategies capable of reducing inequalities and improving population mental health. Following this, we provide a review of the evidence concerning candidate preventive strategies to intervene on social determinants of mental health. These interventions fall broadly within the scope of universal, selected and indicated primary prevention strategies, but we also briefly review important secondary and tertiary strategies to promote recovery in those with existing mental disorders. Finally, we provide seven key recommendations, framed around social justice, which constitute a roadmap for action in research, policy and public health. Adoption of these recommendations would provide an opportunity to advance efforts to intervene on modifiable social determinants that affect population mental health.

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Waiting for family reunification and the risk of mental disorders among refugee fathers: a 24-year longitudinal cohort study from Denmark

Cited by 15 publications

References 33 publications

Impact of United States refugee ban and discrimination on the mental health of hypertensive Arabic-speaking refugees

Impact of United States refugee ban and discrimination on the mental health of hypertensive Arabic-speaking refugees

Familias Divididas [divided families]: Transnational family separation and undocumented Latinx immigrant health.

The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and recommendations

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