Estados de ansiedad, depresión y factores relacionados en la población adulta inmigrante latinoamericana en Canarias

Abstract

Introduction Immigration is a vital stressful event that could be a higher risk of suffering a mental illness. Objective To compare the prevalence of anxiety-depression in the Latin-American immigrant population living in the Canary Islands and compare them with the non-immigrant population. Material and Method Exploratory analysis of dates and the relationship between variables, including the qualitative analysis. Results The study included 125 patients, with a mean age of 38.9 years (SD: 12.07), of whom 73.6% were women, 42.4% married and 77.6% employed. A total of 44% suffered anxiety (95% CI: 0.527-0.353) and 63.2% had depression (95% CI: 0.714-0.546). Abuse was reported by 13.6% and the 19.2% had psychopathological symptoms in childhood. A history of mental illness was reported in 64.6%. Depression was associated with “marital status” ( P = .012), “family situation” ( P = .0001), “time in Spain” (5.75 years± 3.88 vs. 7.50 years± 7.39 P = .002) and “reason for immigration” ( P = .050). Anxiety was associated with “age” (41.1 years± 12.51 vs. 37.2 years± 11.5 P = .070) and “unemployment” ( P = .014). Anxiety-depression with “abuses” (76.5 vs. 23.5% P = .004), (100 vs. 0% P = .001), “psychopathological symptoms in childhood” (62.5 vs. 37.5% P = .042), (83.3 vs. 16.7% P = .023) and “clinical history of mental illness” (68.4 vs. 31.6% P = .001), (84.2 vs. 15.8% P = .001). “Clinical history of mental illness”, “abuses” and “unemployment” are risk factors for anxiety. Depression is associated with “family situation” as a protective factor and “clinical history of mental illness” and “psychopathological symptoms in childhood” as a risk factor. The qualitative analysis showed “relationships”, “vision of society” and “hope of going back home” as positive factors. Conclusions The prevalence of anxiety is no different to the general population, and the migration factors do not appear to modify our study.