Citation

Aoe T, Shetty S, Sivilli TI, Blanton C, Ellis H, Geltman PL, Cochran J, Taylor E, Lankau EW, Lopes Cardozo B. J. Immigr. Minor. Health 2015; 18(4): 828-835.

Affiliation

Emergency Response and Recovery Branch, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Mailstop E-22, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. bhc8@cdc.gov.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10903-015-0325-7

PMID

26711245

Abstract

Refugee agencies noticed a high number of suicides among Bhutanese refugees resettled in the United States between 2009 and 2012. We aimed to estimate prevalence of mental health conditions and identify factors associated with suicidal ideation among Bhutanese refugees. We conducted a stratified random cross-sectional survey and collected information on demographics, mental health conditions, suicidal ideation, and post-migration difficulties. Bivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify factors associated with suicidal ideation. Prevalence of mental health conditions were: depression (21 %), symptoms of anxiety (19 %), post-traumatic stress disorder (4.5 %), and suicidal ideation (3 %), significant risk factors for suicidal ideation included: not being a provider of the family; perceiving low social support; and having symptoms of anxiety and depression. These findings suggest that Bhutanese refugees in the United States may have a higher burden of mental illness relative to the US population and may benefit from mental health screening and treatment. Refugee communities and service providers may benefit from additional suicide awareness training to identify those at highest risk.

Language: en