Abstract
Mental health disorders (MHDs) among refugees has been recognized as a major public health issue. However, to date, there is limited evidence on the prevalence of MHDs among Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and associated factors of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Rohingya refugees in Malaysia. A total of 220 refugees were randomly selected to participate in this cross-sectional study, conducted from June 2019 to November 2019. Perceived social support, religious orientation, food security, and sociodemographic characteristics were assessed as independent variables. The dependent variables assessed were MDD, GAD, and PTSD. The prevalence of GAD, PTSD, and MDD was reported at 92 (41.8%), 84 (38.2%), and 71 (32.3%). Several factors were significantly associated with MDD following multivariate analysis such as perceived low to moderate social support (AOR = 2.17; 95% CI 1.13, 4.19) and food insecurity (AOR = 2.77; 95% CI 1.19, 6.47). Exposure to violence (AOR = 38.46; 95% CI 16.27, 90.91) and food insecurity (AOR = 3.74; 95% CI 1.41, 9.91) were significantly associated with PTSD. Addressing these risk factors could be key in improving mental health outcomes among this vulnerable population.
Highlights
Refugees are individuals forced to leave their country of origin or habitual residence and are unable to return home safely [1]
Selangor is one of the states located in Peninsular Malaysia, which reported the highest number of Rohingya refugees nationwide
The finding was similar to the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD) reported among adult refugees in the United States of America (USA; 32%) and Italy (31%) [25,26] but much lower compared to studies among refugees in Malaysia, Australia, and Israel, which reported the prevalence of MDD ranging from 79% to 98% [5,27,28]
Summary
Refugees are individuals forced to leave their country of origin or habitual residence and are unable to return home safely [1]. These individuals have a fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, and are unable to avail protection for themselves [1]. In Malaysia, there are some 178,990 refugees in 2019, of which the majority are Rohingya refugees from Myanmar (n = 101,010) [2]. The Rohingya refugees live throughout Peninsular Malaysia, and are considered illegal or prohibited immigrants [1,2]. While in Malaysia, the Rohingya refugees live in
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