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Variations in prevalence and risk profiles for Common Mental Disorders amongst Rohingya, Chin and Kachin refugees from Myanmar

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 September 2020

Alvin Kuowei Tay Open the ORCID record for Alvin Kuowei Tay [Opens in a new window] ,
Mohammed Mohsin ,
Hau Khat Mung ,
Mohammad Badrudduza ,
Susheela Balasundaram ,
Karen Morgan ,
Nirmalatiban Parthiban  and
Derrick Silove
Alvin Kuowei Tay*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia Perdana University-Centre for Global Health and Social Change (PU-GHSC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Mohammed Mohsin
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia Mental Health Academic Unit, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Hau Khat Mung
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia
Mohammad Badrudduza
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia
Susheela Balasundaram
Affiliation:
Health Unit, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Karen Morgan
Affiliation:
Perdana University-Centre for Global Health and Social Change (PU-GHSC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Perdana University-Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (PU-RCSI) School of Medicine, Selangor, Malaysia
Nirmalatiban Parthiban
Affiliation:
Perdana University-Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (PU-RCSI) School of Medicine, Selangor, Malaysia
Derrick Silove
Affiliation:
Faculty of Medicine, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia
*
Author for correspondence: Alvin Kuowei Tay, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Background

Large variations in prevalence rates of common mental disorder (CMD) amongst refugees and forcibly displaced populations have raised questions about the accuracy and value of epidemiological surveys in these cross-cultural settings. We examined the associations of sociodemographic indices, premigration traumatic events (TEs), postmigration living difficulties (PMLDs), and psychosocial disruptions based on the Adaptive Stress Index (ASI) in relation to CMD prevalence amongst the Rohingya, Chin and Kachin refugees originating from Myanmar and relocated to Malaysia.

Methods

Parallel epidemiological studies were conducted in areas where the three groups were concentrated in and around Malaysia (response rates: 80–83%).

Results

TE exposure, PMLDs and ASI were significantly associated with CMD prevalence in each group but the Rohingya recorded the highest exposure to all three of these former indices relative to Chin and Kachin (TE: mean = 11.1 v. 8.2 v. 11; PMLD: mean = 13.5 v. 7.4 v. 8.7; ASI: mean = 128.9 v. 32.1 v. 35.5). Multiple logistic regression analyses based on the pooled sample (n = 2058) controlling for gender and age, found that ethnic group membership, premigration TEs (16 or more TEs: OR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.39–2.88; p < 0.001), PMLDs (10–15 PMLDs: OR, 4.19; 95% CI, 3.17–5.54; 16 or more PMLDs: OR, 7.23; 95% CI, 5.24–9.98; p < 0.001) and ASI score (ASI score 100 or greater: OR, 2.19; 95% CI, 1.46–3.30; p < 0.001) contributed to CMD.

Conclusions

Factors specific to each ethnic group and differences in the quantum of exposure to TEs, PMLDs and psychosocial disruptions appeared to account in large part for differences in prevalence rates of CMDs observed across these three groups.

Keywords

Adaptive stressanxietycommon mental disordersdepressionpostmigration living difficultiesposttraumatic stress disorderpsychiatric epidemiologyrefugeetrauma
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 52 , Issue 7 , May 2022 , pp. 1306 - 1320
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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