Mental disorder and first-time marriage formation among non-Western migrant women: A national register study

Abstract

PurposeStudies show that there is a mental health selection into marriage among the general population. This study explored the association between mental disorder and marriage formation among non-Western migrant women living in Norway, and whether the association varied with region of origin, income, education and having a dependent child. MethodsUsing linked national register data, we followed 49,329 non-Western never married migrant women aged 18-60 living in Norway between 2006 and 2014. As a proxy for mental disorders, we investigated whether outpatient mental health service use was associated with marital formation using discrete time logistic regression analyses. ResultOverall, outpatient mental health service use was associated with lower odds of marital formation, even after controlling for sociodemographic factors. Interaction analyses suggested that the relationship was weaker for South Asian women, who had the highest odds of marriage formation, compared with Sub-Saharan African women, who had the lowest. The relationship was also stronger for women with children and women with low incomes. ConclusionMental health selection effects may depend on the universality of marriage. Since marriage may be associated with psychosocial and economic benefits, it is important to identify and treat mental disorder among non-Western migrant women, particularly those with childcare responsibilities and low income.