Dataset Information

Understanding the Healthy Immigrant Effect in the Context of Mental Health Challenges: A Systematic Critical Review.

ABSTRACT: The "Healthy Immigrant Effect" (HIE) suggests that immigrants have a health advantage over the domestic-born which vanishes with increased length of residency. Most HIE research focuses on physical health, with less attention given to mental health (MH). This systematic review of 58 MH studies examines whether there is a MH advantage among immigrants and explores changes in immigrants' MH, besides critically assessing the use of HIE theory. Inconsistent evidence was detected regarding the presence of MH advantage, whereas consistent, convincing evidence was revealed for a decline in immigrants' MH over years. Although the HIE theory can help reveal MH disparities, this theory alone does not explain the reasons for these disparities nor inform about potential avenues to improve immigrants' MH. A paradigm shift is needed to incorporate other potential theoretical concepts/frameworks, including the "Health Inequalities Action" framework, for a broader understanding of MH issues and to inform effective, culturally-sensitive interventions.

SUBMITTER: Elshahat S

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8606270 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Understanding the Healthy Immigrant Effect in the Context of Mental Health Challenges: A Systematic Critical Review.

Elshahat Sarah S Moffat Tina T Newbold K Bruce KB

Journal of immigrant and minority health 20211122 6

The "Healthy Immigrant Effect" (HIE) suggests that immigrants have a health advantage over the domestic-born which vanishes with increased length of residency. Most HIE research focuses on physical health, with less attention given to mental health (MH). This systematic review of 58 MH studies examines whether there is a MH advantage among immigrants and explores changes in immigrants' MH, besides critically assessing the use of HIE theory. Inconsistent evidence was detected regarding the presen ...[more]

PMID: 34807354

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Project description:Background and objectivesNatural disasters are harmful occurrences caused by the Earth's geological and meteorological processes. Bangladesh is recognized as one of the country's most vulnerable to natural disasters. Therefore, the people of Bangladesh remain at high risk of natural disasters. However, no study has been conducted in Bangladesh to provide an overall perspective on mental health issues that arise after natural disasters. Thus, this systematic review aims to identify all mental health issues and related risk factors brought on by natural disasters in Bangladesh.Study designSystematic review.MethodsBetween April to May 2024, a systematic search was conducted across many databases, including PubMed, following the PRISMA guideline. Ultimately, 17 publications were included in this study.ResultsThe findings reveal that depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and sleep disturbances are found as major risk factors for natural disasters. Prevalence of depression, anxiety and, stress, suicidal ideation ranges from 16.3% to 92.71%, 6% to 92.19%, 32.41% to 58%, 10.9% to 57.5% among people as consequences of natural disasters like heatwaves, cyclones, flood, river bank erosion etc. There are some associated risk factors which provoke prominent mental health problems, including (i) Demographic factors (age, gender, marital status, number of children, lower education, living location, living infrastructure, family conflicts, family member death, land for cultivation, loss of domestic animals), (ii) socio-economic factors (environmental settings, social support, disaster warning system, displacement, food crisis, financial support, income loss, vulnerable livelihoods) (iii) behavior and health-related factors (behavior pattern, physical injury during natural disaster, physical disability), (iv) other factors (increased temperature, living together, lower social class). People affected by natural disasters are often viewed in terms of their physical damage, while their mental health is always ignored.ConclusionCalculative measures are needed to create an overall picture of the effect of natural disasters on people's mental health in Bangladesh. Therefore, the government needs to consider establishing potential measures to lessen the impact of natural disasters on people's mental health.

Project description:BACKGROUND:Mental health policy can be an essential and powerful tool to improve a population's mental health. However, around one third of countries do not possess a mental health policy, and there are large disparities in population coverage rates between high- and low-income countries. The goal of this study is to identify the transition and implementation challenges of mental health policies in both high-income countries (HICs) as well as middle- and low-income countries (MLICs). METHODS:PubMed, Cochrane Library and Campbell Library were searched from inception to 31 December 2017, for studies on implemented mental health policies at the national level. Abstracts and the main texts of papers were double screened, and extracted data were analysed through thematic synthesis. RESULTS:A total of 93 papers were included in this study, covering 24 HICs, 28 MLICs and 5 regions. Studies on mental health policies, especially those of MLICs, kept increasing, but MLICs were still underrepresented in terms of publication quantity and study frequency. Based on the included studies, nine policy domains were summarized: service organizing, service provision, service quality, human resources, legislation and human rights, advocacy, administration, surveillance and research, and financing and budgeting. HICs incrementally enriched their policy content in all domains over centuries of development; following HICs' experience, mental health policies in MLICs have boomed since the 1990s and quickly extended to all domains. Implementation problems in HICs were mainly related to service organizing and service provision; for MLICs, more severe implementation problems converged on financing and budgeting, administration and human resources. CONCLUSIONS:Mental health policy developments in both HICs and MLICs present a process of diversification and enrichment. In terms of implementation, MLICs are faced with more and greater challenges than HICs, especially in funding, human resources and administration. Therefore, future efforts should not only be made on helping MLICs developing mental health policies, but also on promoting policy implementation under MLICs' local context.

Dataset Information

Understanding the Healthy Immigrant Effect in the Context of Mental Health Challenges: A Systematic Critical Review.

Publications

Understanding the Healthy Immigrant Effect in the Context of Mental Health Challenges: A Systematic Critical Review.

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