A Mental Health Profile of 900 Newly Arrived Refugees in Denmark Using ICD-10 Diagnoses

Anne Mette Fløe Hvass,Kamilla Lanng,Lene Nyboe,Christian Wejse,Claus Vinther Nielsen

doi:10.3390/su14010418

Anne Mette Fløe Hvass, Kamilla Lanng + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010418

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Abstract

(1) Background: Recognizing mental health problems in newly arrived refugees poses a challenge. Little is known of the mental health profile of refugees currently arriving in Northern Europe. (2) Method: In total, we included 900 adult (≥18 years old) refugees arriving in Aarhus, Denmark, between 1 January 2014 and 1 January 2020. All participants accepted an offer of a voluntary systematic health assessment from the municipality in Aarhus, including a mental health screening. (3) Results: Within this cohort, 26% (237/900) of the participants were referred to the Department of Psychiatry, Aarhus University Hospital, 24% (212/900) were in contact with the department and 21% (185/900) received ≥1 psychiatric diagnosis. Within the subpopulation referred (n = 237), 64% (152/237) were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (DF431), 14% (34/237) with neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders (F40–F48) and 13% (30/237) with major mood disorders (F30–F39). Among the participants referred to the Department of Psychiatry and participants receiving a diagnosis, we found an overrepresentation of participants originating from the Southern Asian region (Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran) and with an age above 44 years. (4) Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of both referrals and psychiatric diagnoses in newly arrived refugees. Attention to psychiatric conditions in refugees and systematic health assessments during resettlement are needed.

Highlights

In 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that the number of forcibly displaced people surpassed 80 million globally
(4) Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of both referrals and psychiatric diagnoses in newly arrived refugees
We found significantly more participants originating from Southern Asia (SAS) (p = 0.001) and Western Asia (WAS) (p = 0.03) and significantly fewer originating from Eastern Africa (EAF) (p < 0.001), as shown in Table 2 and Figure 3a

Summary

Introduction

In 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated that the number of forcibly displaced people surpassed 80 million globally. 26.3 million are refugees displaced across international boundaries [1]. The 1951 convention related to refugees’ status defines refugees as people who have a well-founded fear of persecution due to their religion, race, political beliefs, nationality, membership of a social group or sexual identity and cannot rely on their home country to protect them [2]. Refugees are at increased risk of mental health conditions, and studies have found that these conditions are often overlooked [3]. Differences in health reception for refugees settling in a new home country are vast, and health programmes typically do not include screening for mental health issues [4].

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