Current Country Of Residence Research Articles

Experiences with treating immigrants: a qualitative study in mental health services across 16 European countries

While there has been systematic research on the experiences of immigrant patients in mental health services within certain European countries, little research has explored the experiences of mental health professionals in the delivery of services to immigrants across Europe. This study sought to explore professionals' experiences of delivering care to immigrants in districts densely populated with immigrants across Europe. Forty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health care professionals working in 16 European countries. Professionals in each country were recruited from three areas with the highest proportion of immigrants. For the purpose of this study, immigrants were defined as first-generation immigrants born outside the country of current residence, including regular immigrants, irregular immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees and victims of human trafficking. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The interviews highlighted specific challenges to treating immigrants in mental health services across all 16 countries including complications with diagnosis, difficulty in developing trust and increased risk of marginalisation. Although mental health service delivery varies between and within European countries, consistent challenges exist in the experiences of mental health professionals delivering services in communities with high proportions of immigrants. Improvements to practice should include training in reaching appropriate diagnoses, a focus on building trusting relationships and measures to counter marginalisation.

Depression in middle-aged and older first generation migrants in Europe: Results from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE)

Objective To determine the prevalence of depression in migrants aged 50 years or older in comparison to residents without a history of migration in 11 European countries. Methods and subjects The Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), a cross-national, multidisciplinary, household-based panel survey using nationally representative probability samples ( n = 28,517) of 11 European countries of the non-institutionalized population aged 50 years and older. Depression was measured using the EURO-D scale, and odds ratios (OR) were estimated for migration status. Effects of sociodemographic variables, somatic comorbidities, functional impairment, cognitive function, geographic region, and time lived in current country of residence were assessed in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results Adjusting for confounds, the OR for depression in migrants was 1.42 (95% CI, 1.28–1.59). The influence of migration status on the prevalence of depression was significantly greater in Northern (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.39–2.46) and Western Europe (OR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.22–1.57), compared to Southern Europe (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 0.79–1.70) ( p < 0.05 for the interaction). Conclusion We found a higher prevalence of depression in first-generation migrants aged 50 years or older, together with relevant geographical variation. This difference was not due to other known predictors of depression in older age.

The Motherland is Calling: Views of Homeland among Russians in the Near Abroad

Do Russians in Central Asia and other parts of the former Soviet Union see Russia as their homeland? Do they want Russia to defend their interests? How united are they in their views? This article examines these questions through the analysis of surveys conducted among the Russian population in four post-Soviet states--Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Ukraine--as well as in focus groups in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Although many Russians have emigrated from the Central Asian countries, and some from Belarus and Ukraine, those who have stayed do not fit the common assumption that Russians are a potential fifth column who favor interference by Moscow and view Russia as their external homeland. There is, instead, a great deal of heterogeneity among these ethnic Russians. Whether they identify Russia or their current country of residence as their homeland depends powerfully on where they were born and how long they have lived in their current country of residence. Those Russian-born Russians who have chosen their current state of residence as their homelands tend to score high on pride in their country of residence, have confidence in its political institutions, and show a commitment to remain in the country. Even those Russian-born Russians who consider Russia to be their homeland do not look positively on the Russian Federation's intervention in local affairs. The results suggest that while the motherland may be calling, Russians who remain in the near abroad are not answering the call.