Melanie Straiton

• PhD Psychology
• Researcher at Norwegian Institute of Public Health

Introduction A considerable number of individuals born in the Nordic countries to immigrant parents are now entering youth and young adulthood, but we have limited knowledge about their health. This scoping review aimed to map and summarize existing knowledge on the health of this group. Methods This research followed guidelines from the Joanna Br...

Introduction Adolescence and early adulthood are associated with an increase in mental health problems. Migration is also a risk factor for mental disorders. Yet, there is a notable gap in research concerning the mental well-being of descendants of immigrants. This study investigates the risk of a diagnosis of a mental health disorder among those a...

Background Younger age of migration is associated with higher risk of psychotic disorders but the relationship between age of migration and common mental disorders is less clear. This study investigates the association between age of migration and diagnosed common mental disorders among migrants living in Norway. Methods Using national Norwegian r...

Purpose Post-migration stress is an important aspect of refugees’ mental health, but little is known about the relationship with insomnia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the assication between different post-migration stress factors and insomnia among Syrian refugees living in Norway. Design/methodology/approach The authors analysed...

Background Despite concern about migrant children’s mental health and their access to mental healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic, this topic has attracted little research attention. This study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the use primary and specialist healthcare services for mental health problems among chil...

Background Mental disorders are a leading cause of sickness absence. Some groups of migrants are at higher risk of both mental disorder and sickness absence. Yet, research on sickness absence in relation to mental disorders among migrants is limited. This study investigates differences in sickness absence in the twelve-month period around contact w...

Introduction Research on the prevalence of and risk factors for insomnia among refugee populations is limited and tends to focus on pre-migratory trauma. Yet, post migratory stressors are just as important for mental health and may also relate to insomnia. Objectives Objective: To determine the association between different post-migration stressor...

Introduction Low parental income during childhood is associated with increased risk of mental disorders at later ages. However, despite a disproportionate share of migrant children growing up in persistent poverty, as compared to their majority counterparts, the research on whether the association varies by migrant background is limited. Objective...

Background Limited research exists on pain and especially the co-occurrence of pain and mental ill health in general refugee populations. The present study aimed to approximate the prevalence of chronic pain (CP) among adult refugees from Syria resettled in Norway; investigate the association between CP and mental ill health; and explore how CP and...

Background Marriage is considered beneficial for mental health when stable and of high quality. Yet, it is unclear whether marriage is equally advantageous for everyone regardless of marital timing or migrant background. This study aimed to investigate the association between early marriage and mental disorder, defined by outpatient mental healthca...

Background Non-workforce participation is associated with increased risk of mental disorder in the general population. Migrant women face disadvantage in the labour market but use mental health services to a lesser extent. This study investigates the risk of using mental health services following departure from the workforce among women in Norway,...

Background: Comorbidity between mental disorders and somatic diseases is well-documented. At the same time there are large differences in the prevalence of both mental disorders and somatic diseases such as cardiovascular (CVDs), tumours, metabolic and infectious diseases between immigrants and majority populations in receiving countries. However,...

The full text of this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors while they make corrections to the work. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as a reference. Questions should be directed to the corresponding author.

Background: Limited research exists on pain and especially the co-occurrence of pain and mental ill health in general refugee populations. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of chronic pain (CP) among adult refugees from Syria resettled in Norway; investigate the association between CP and mental ill health; and explore how CP and men...

Background Giving birth to one’s first child is a life changing event. Beyond the post-partum period, little is known about the association between becoming a mother and mental disorder among migrant women. This study investigates outpatient mental health (OPMH) service use, a proxy for mental disorder, among married migrant and non-migrant women w...

Background Low socioeconomic status during childhood is associated with increased risk of mental disorders later in life. Yet, there is limited research on whether this association varies by migrant background, despite an overrepresentation of migrants among the economically disadvantaged. Methods Using national register data on a study population...

Using national register data between 2006-2014, we investigated the relationship between outpatient mental health service use (a proxy for mental disorder) and subsequent marital separation among women in Norway and whether the strength of the association differed for migrant and non-migrant women. Our sample population included 679,928 married wom...

Majority of mental health problems are treated in primary care, while a minority require specialised treatment. This study aims to identify factors that predict contact with outpatient mental healthcare services (OPMH) among individuals who have been diagnosed with a mental health problem in primary healthcare services (PHC), with a special focus o...

Purpose Studies 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 varies with region of origin, income, education and having a dependent child. Metho...

Background: Women, and migrant women in particular, are at increased risk of many common mental disorders, which may potentially impact their labor market participation and their work-related income. Previous research found that mental disorders are associated with several work-related outcomes such as loss of income, however, not much is known abo...

Background This study aims to better understand the association between bullying behaviour (the bullied, the bullies and the bully-victims) and self-harm, and which protective factors moderate this association. Methods A total of 16,182 adolescents, aged 12 to 19 years, were invited to participate in the cross-sectional Ung-data survey. This surve...

Background: Mental disorders are associated with several work-related outcomes such as loss of income. However, studies investigating the effect of mental disorders on work-related income by migrant background are lacking. This study aimed to assess the change in work-related income following the uptake of outpatient mental healthcare (OPMH) treatm...

Purpose Mental disorders are associated with several work-related outcomes such as loss of income. Not much is known about how this varies with migrant background. This study investigated the change in work-related income following the uptake of outpatient mental healthcare (OPMH) treatment, a proxy for mental disorder, in young women with and with...

This study explores older Pakistani women's preferences and expectations of formal and informal care while ageing in Norway. Our study is based on qualitative interviews with older Pakistani women living in Oslo municipality, Norway. The participants were aged between 48 and 81 years and had been living in Norway for 26 to 46 years. Our analyses re...

Background: The aging of Pakistani immigrants in Norway raises questions related to their increased need for care and help from relatives, as well as those concerning what future formal and informal care and healthcare accessibility for older immigrants may look like. The hidden nature of family caregiving means that the circumstances of carers, t...

Mental disorders typically develop during adolescence, with young women being particularly at risk. Mental disorders during this period can negatively affect both current and future life prospects such as school completion. Migrants are at increased risk of developing mental disorders as a result of their experiences prior to, during and after migr...

Background: This study aims to better understand the link between bullying behaviour (both the bullied, the bullies and the bully-victims) and self-harm, and which risk- and protective factors will moderate this link. Methods: A total of 16 182 adolescents, aged 12 to 19 years were invited to participate in the cross-sectional Ung-data survey. The...

Background: This study aims to better understand the association between bullying behaviour (the bullied, the bullies and the bully-victims) and self-harm, and which protective factors moderate this association. Methods: A total of 16 182 adolescents, aged 12 to 19 years, were invited to participate in the cross-sectional Ung-data survey. The respo...

Background: Obesity is becoming an important public health challenge, especially among immigrants coming from low and middle income to high-income countries. In this study we examined the relationship between overweight/obesity and various socio-demographic indicators among different immigrant groups in Norway. Methods: We used data from the Liv...

Background: Many asylum seekers arrived in Norway during autumn 2015, and there has been a call for more knowledge regarding the health of this group. The aim of this exploratory literature review was to investigate the state of knowledge about asylum seekers' health and use of healthcare services in Norway. Material and method: We conducted two...

Background: Norway, like other European countries, has a growing refugee population. Upon arrival to Norway, refugees and asylum seekers need to learn about Norwegian society and social services such as healthcare. Despite various programs and assistance, they face numerous challenges using the healthcare system. Understanding the healthcare exper...

Background: Studies show that migrant women are at greater risk of common mental disorders than the majority population, yet underrepresented in healthcare services. This study investigates the use of outpatient mental healthcare services over a five-year period among migrant and descendant women compared to majority women in Norway. Methods: Us...

Background: Migrants experience stress before, during and after migrating to a new country, all of which influences their mental wellbeing. In Norway, migration from Thailand is highly gendered as most Thai migrants are women who migrate to live with their Norwegian spouse. Massage shops, often owned by Thai entrepreneurs, are a locale where women...

Background The prevalence of insomnia has increased from 11.9% to 15.5% between 2001 and 2011. At the same time, there has been a strong increase in immigration, and today immigrants constitute about 14% of the population. However, we do not know if these increases are related. There is limited information about immigrants’ mental health problems,...

Introduction To manage immigrants` health needs is an important challenge for the society. This report gives knowledge about the status of immigrant health in Norway, which can be used in planning of health services. Methods Statistics Norway carried out a Living Condition Survey among immigrants in 2016. We report the prevalence of health outcome...

Older immigrant women experience several barriers in accessing health care. In this study, we explored how older Pakistani women are met with, and respond to, barriers to health care in Norway, using an ethnic boundary-making and intersectionality approach. Our data included interviews with 23 older Pakistani women and 10 caregivers. We found that...

The report is commissioned by the Directorate of Health, and is based on a survey on living conditions of immigrants in Norway in 2016. The results show that there is large variation in health between immigrant groups, and that the relationship between migration and health is complex. The association is influenced by a range of factors, more than w...

Background Ethnic discrimination is a relatively common experience among immigrants and ethnic minorities. The experience of discrimination can have detrimental effects on an individual’s health and well-being. This study investigated the association between perceived discrimination and general health and mental health among immigrants in Norway, i...

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the health and well-being of Thai immigrant women in transnational marriages. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews with 13 Thai women living in Norway who have (had) a Norwegian spouse/partner were conducted and the transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: Initial culture...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to synthesise data from the existent literature on the experiences of non-western older migrants in Europe in accessing and using healthcare services. Design/methodology/approach In total, 1,606 records were reviewed and 12 studies were selected. A thematic synthesis using Thomas and Harden’s approach was condu...

Background Immigrant women face greater barriers to health care, especially mental health care, than non-immigrant women. However, immigrants are a heterogeneous group and bring with them a range of different personal, social, cultural and economic factors, which impact both mental health and access to care. In this study, we explored factors that...

Objective: Learning to navigate a healthcare system in a new country is a barrier to health care. Understanding more about the specific navigation challenges immigrants experience may be the first step towards improving health information and thus access to care. This study considers the challenges that Thai and Filipino immigrant women encounter w...

Denne rapporten handler om hvordan informasjon om helse, helserettigheter og helsetjenesten formidles i ankomstsenteret og i transittmottak, i den første tiden etter at en person har søkt om beskyttelse i Norge. Tilgang til informasjon om helse, helserettigheter og helsetjenesten er grunnleggende for at den enkelte asylsøker skal kunne orientere se...

Background Migration is associated with a number of stress factors which can affect mental health. Ethnicity, gender and socioeconomic status can intertwine with and influence the process of migration and mental health. Philippine migration to Europe has increased in recent years and has become more feminised. Knowing more about the factors that in...

High rates of mental health problems are consistently found among immigrants from refugee generating countries. While refugees and their family members may have experienced similar traumas, refugees are more likely to have undergone a stressful asylum period. This study aims to determine whether their mental health differs. Using national registry...

Purpose – High socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with better health and lower use of health care services in the general population. Among immigrants, the relationship appears less consistent. The purpose of this paper is to determine if the relationship between income level (a proxy for SES) and use of primary health care services for menta...

Researchers in Norway explore treatment options in primary care for immigrant women with mental health problems compared to non-immigrant women. Three national registers were linked together for 2008. Immigrant women from Sweden, Poland, the Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan and Russia were selected for analysis and compared with Norwegian women. Usi...

Background There is conflicting evidence of the healthy migrant effect with respect to mental health. This study aims to determine if there are differences in mental health and service use between Australian-born and foreign-born individuals living in South Australia and to consider the differing role of socio-demographic characteristics for Austra...

Using data from a national survey (n = 6979) of young people in their last year in Norwegian secondary schools in 2007 (aged 18–19), this paper explores the relationship between sexual abuse and experiences of violence among young people in Norway and their reporting of suicidal ideation and self-harm. This investigation includes three types of abu...

Background Equity in health care across all social groups is a major goal in health care policy. Immigrants may experience more mental health problems than natives, but we do not know the extent to which they seek help from primary health care services. This study aimed to determine a) the rate immigrants use primary health care services for mental...

This study investigates 122 people's descriptions of their self-harm experiences using thematic analysis. Analysis revealed four themes: What counts as self-harm, What leads to self-harm, Intentions and Managing stigma. Our participants challenged commonly accepted understandings in terms of method, outcome and intentions. Several difficulties asso...

A total of thirty-two women admitted to a general hospital for medical treatment after self-harming completed measures of conventional positive and negative masculinity and femininity. Comparisons were made with two control groups with no self-harm history; 33 women receiving psychiatric outpatient treatment and a nonclinical sample of 206 women. M...

This study investigates whether positive and negative conventional gender roles relate to suicidal ideation and self-harming in different ways among young adults. Participants completed an online survey about previous self-harm, recent suicidal ideation, and positive and negative aspects of conventional masculinity and femininity. Logistic regressi...

This thesis explores the gender socialisation perspective of suicidal and self-harming behaviour. More specifically, it aims to improve our understanding of self-harm in relation to gender. Self-harm is frequently found to be more common among women and this thesis discusses why this might be the case. Consideration is given to what self-harm is an...

Too often ethical boards delay or stop research projects with vulnerable populations, influenced by presumed rather than empirically documented vulnerability. The article investigates how participation is experienced by those bereaved by suicide. Experiences are divided into 3 groups: (a) overall positive (62%), (b) unproblematic (10%), and (c) pos...

Few studies directly address vulnerable populations' motivation for participating in research. Often motives are expressed spontaneously and typically given post-interview. This article investigates motivation for research participation among informants who have been bereaved by suicide. Informants were specifically asked for their motivation eithe...