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Alcohol Use and Mental Health among Migrant Workers

Authors:
Rock Britto at Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan Medical College
Rock Britto
Nisha K Jose at Indian Council of Medical Research
Nisha K Jose
Theres Mathew
Theres Mathew
Sultan Navshin at Bangalore University
Sultan Navshin
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Introduction: There are about 30 million migrant workers in India. Migrant workers contribute significantly to the unorganised sector of occupation.The stressors associated with migrant’s lifestyle are language barriers, unpredictable nature of housing or work, being away from friends and family, worries about socialisation and education of their children. Migrants are more susceptible to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Migrants may use increased alcohol and other drugs to offset the stressors of migrant life, boredom, and feelings of depression and anxiety. Thus, mental health and alcohol use among migrants become a vicious cycle. Need for the study: The Mental health status and alcohol use among migrant workers has been studied the least. Objectives: This study assesses the alcohol abuse, mental health status and associated factors among the internal migrant workers. Methodology: A cross sectional study was done among migrant workers staying in villages under Bangalore urban District, Karnataka, India. A sample size of 210 was estimated and the workers were selected from different work places like construction sites, quarries, rosegardens using non probability convenient sampling. The study tool consisted of an interview schedule with socio-demographic details and occupation. The mental health status was assessed using Modified MINI screen (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview). Alcoholism was measured using FIGS (Family Interview for Genetic studies) questionnaire. Chi square test and independent ‘t’test was used to analyse data as appropriate. Results: Among the 210 study subjects, 183 (87%) were males and 27 (13%) were females with mean age of 28.31 with S.D. of 9.52 and majority 130 (62%) were working in construction sites. Among the migrant workers it was observed that 40 (19%) were screened positive for mental health problems and 45 (21%) consumed alcohol. 4%, 2%, 1% of them were abusing, suffering from withdrawal, suffering from dependence of alcohol respectively. MMS positivity was associated with alcohol withdrawal, alcohol abuse, gender (more in females), with place of work (rose and brick factory), and health problems. Conclusion: Among the study subjects, 40 (19%) were screened positive for mental health problems and 45 (21%) were currently consuming alcohol. © 2016, Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development. All rights reserved.
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168
Alcohol Use and Mental Health among Migrant Workers
Rock B1, Catherin N2, Mathew T3, Navshin S3, Kurian H 3, Sherrin S3, Goud BR4, Shanbhag D5
1
Assistant Professor, Chennai Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Trichy,
1Assistant Professor, Chennai Medical College Hospital & Research Centre, Trichy,
1
2
Surviellence Medical Officer, NPSP, WHO,
3
Medical Intern,
4Additional Professor, Community Medicine,
5Associate Professor, Community Medicine, Department of Community Health,
St John’s Medical College, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
ABSTRACT
Introduction: There are about 30 million migrant workers in India. Migrant workers contribute significantly
to the unorganised sector of occupation.The stressors associated with migrant’s lifestyle are language barriers,
unpredictable nature of housing or work, being away from friends and family, worries about socialisation and
education of their children. Migrants are more susceptible to mental health problems such as depression, anxiety
and substance abuse. Migrants may use increased alcohol and other drugs to offset the stressors of migrant life,
boredom, and feelings of depression and anxiety. Thus, mental health and alcohol use among migrants become
a vicious cycle. Need for the study: The Mental health status and alcohol use among migrant workers has been
studied the least. Objectives: This study assesses the alcohol abuse, mental health status and associated factors
among the internal migrant workers. Methodology: A cross sectional study was done among migrant workers
staying in villages under Bangalore urban District, Karnataka, India. A sample size of 210 was estimated and
the workers were selected from different work places like construction sites, quarries, rosegardens using non
probability convenient sampling. The study tool consisted of an interview schedule with socio-demographic
details and occupation. The mental health status was assessed using Modified MINI screen (Mini International
Neuropsychiatric Interview). Alcoholism was measured using FIGS (Family Interview for Genetic studies)
questionnaire. Chi square test and independent ‘t’test was used to analyse data as appropriate. Results: Among
the 210 study subjects, 183 (87%) were males and 27 (13%) were females with mean age of 28.31 with S.D. of
9.52 and majority 130 (62%) were working in construction sites. Among the migrant workers it was observed
that 40 (19%) were screened positive for mental health problems and 45 (21%) consumed alcohol. 4%, 2%,
1% of them were abusing, suffering from withdrawal, suffering from dependence of alcohol respectively.
MMS positivity was associated with alcohol withdrawal, alcohol abuse, gender (more in females), with place
of work (rose and brick factory), and health problems. Conclusion: Among the study subjects, 40 (19%) were
screened positive for mental health problems and 45 (21%) were currently consuming alcohol.
Keywords: Migrant health, mental health, Alcohol use, Alcohol abuse, Alcohol dependence
Address for correspondence:
Dr. D. Rock Britto,
Department of Community Health, St John’s Medical
College, Bangalore – 560034, Karnataka, India.
E-mail: rockbritto@gmail.com
INTRODUCTION AND NEED FOR THE
STUDY
There are an estimated one billion migrants in the
world today of whom 214 million international migrants
(country to country) and 740 million internal migrants
(within country). The collective health needs and
implications of this sizeable population are considerable.
Migration comprise a wide range of populations, such as
workers, refugees, students, undocumented migrants and
others, with each different health determinants, needs
and levels of vulnerability. Out of which, migration for
occupation is common in a globalized world defined
by profound disparities, skill shortages, demographic
imbalances, climate change as well as economic and
political crises, natural as well as man-made disasters,
and migration is omnipresent1. Migrant workers
contribute significantly to the informal or unorganised
DOI Number:
10.5958/0976-5506.2016.00212.6
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sector of occupation. As per the NSSO (National Sample
Survey Organization) report, 30 million workers in India
are migrant workers.2
The health of migrants and health associated with
migration are crucial public health challenges faced by
governments and societies1. The stressors associated with
migrant’s lifestyle are language barriers, unpredictable
nature of housing and work, being away from friends
and family, worries about socialisation and education
of their children etc. Migrants are more susceptible to
mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and
substance abuse. Migrants may use increased alcohol
and other drugs to offset the stressors of migrant life,
boredom, and feelings of depression and anxiety. Thus,
mental health and alcohol use among migrants become a
vicious cycle.3
The mental health status and alcohol abuse among
migrant workers has been studied the least. This study
focuses on the alcohol abuse and mental health status
among the internal migrants (from other states of India
to Karnataka) staying in villages under Bangalore urban
District, Karnataka who had migrated for occupation.
OBJECTIVES
1. To assess prevalence of alcohol abuse and to
assess the mental health status among the internal migrant
workers from other states to Bangalore urban District,
Karnataka, India
2. To assess the associated socio-demographic and
occupational factors with alcohol abuse and mental
health.
METHODOLOGY
A cross-sectional study was carried out during the
period of March to May of 2014, among the internal
migrant workers, working in Bangalore urban District,
Karnataka, India. We considered the person as migrant
worker if the person doesn’t possess the family card at the
residence and had migrated for occupation. Non-working
family members of migrant workers were excluded. 210
Migrants were included in the study, assuming maximum
prevalence of 50% (similar studies were not available in
the literature), with an absolute precision of 7% and 95%
confidence. Non – Probability convenience sampling
was followed. After establishing rapport with the study
subject, the purpose, procedure, benefits, risks and
confidentiality of the study were explained. Informed
written consent from the study subject was taken before
the questionnaire was administered.
A structured interview schedule was used to collect
relevant data from the respondents. The interview
schedule had four parts: Part 1 – Personal and socio
demographic details – consisting of age, gender,
marital status, religion, education, income, current
health problems and medications etc. Part 2 - Details
related to their occupation – consisting of questions
related to duration of work (hours per day, days per
week), type of employment, enrollment in any medical
schemes, pre placement examination, training, use of
PPEs and availability of first aid kit. Part 3 - Modified
MINI (Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview)
Screen MMS for assessment of mental health status
– consisting of questions related to mood disorders,
anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, obsessive
compulsive disorders andpost-traumatic stress disorders.
Score ≥10 is considered as treatment needed. Score ≥6,
≤9 is considered as assessment needed. Part 4 – FIGS
(Family Interview for Genetic studies) Questionnaire to
assess level of alcohol abuse – consisting of questions
related to any alcohol abuse, dependence and withdrawal.
The data was analysed using SPSS version 16 for
proportions, frequencies and associations. Frequencies,
measures of central tendency and dispersion, chi square
tests and independent ‘t’test was used to analyse data as
appropriate.
RESULTS
1. Socio-demographic details:
The details of education, place of work and the
state from migrated are represented in Table 1.The
mean age of the study population was 28.31 with S.D.
of 9.52. The minimum age of the study population was
14 and maximum was 59. Majority, 183 (87%) of the
study population were males. 127 (60%) of the study
population were married. 199 (95%) out of 210 were
following Hinduism.
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Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, October-December 2016, Vol. 7, No. 4
171
Table 1: Socio-demographic details of study population:
Sl. No.
Variable
Category
No
%
1
Migrated from
West Bengal
48
22.9
Andhra Pradesh
34
16.2
Orissa
21
10.0
Uttar Pradesh
19
9.1
Jharkhand
17
8.1
Bihar
16
7.6
Tamil Nadu
12
5.7
Assam
12
5.7
Others (Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Kerala, MP, Rajasthan,
Uttarkhand)
30
14.2
2
Education
(Highest education
attained)
Illiterate
35
16.7
Primary school
80
38.1
Middle school
41
19.5
High school
26
12.4
Higher secondary school
20
9.5
Graduate
8
3.8
3
Place of work
Construction
130
62
Brick Factory
31
15
Quarry
23
11
Rose Garden
17
8
Hatchery
9
4
2. Details related to their Occupation:
130 (62%) out of 210 migrant workers interviewed
were working in construction sites, followed by 31 (15%)
in brick factory.98 (47%) of the migrant workers were
working for all the seven days in a week. Only 20 (9.5%)
migrant workers out of 210 were working less than or
equal to eight hours a day. 34 (16%) of the migrant
workers were working in the study area for more than five
years. 40 (19%) of the migrant workers reported some
health problems. Out of the health problems reported
myalgia (37%) was the common, followed by allergic
dermatitis, stomach ache and head ache. 178 (85%) of
migrant workers in study were belonging to contract
type of workers. Only 5 (2.5%) of the study population
reported that they are eligible for medical benefits. Only
7 (3.3%) of the study population reported that they
received a training for their work. 75 (35.7%) of the study
population reported that they are using PPE’s. 55 (32.2%)
of the study population reported that the first aid kit was
available at their work place.
3. Alcohol abuse and Mental Health status:
The findings of FIGS Questionnairre are listed below
in Table 2:
Table 2: MMS screened positive, Alcohol abuse,
withdrawal, dependence among migrants:
Sl.
No.
FIGS/ MODIFIED
MINISCREEN
NUMBER
PERCEN-
TAGE
1.
ABUSE
8
4%
2.
WITHDRAWAL
5
2%
3.
DEPENDENCE
23
11%
4.
NEEDS
ASSESMENT
40
19%
5.
NEEDS
TREATMENT
2
0.9%
40 (19%) out of 210, scored than ≥6 in Modified Mini
Screen or screened positive and they need an assessment.
2 (0.9%) scored than ≥10 in Modified Mini Screen or
diagnosed positive and they need treatment.
The usage of tobacco in the form of smoke like
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cigarette, beedi etc., and smokeless form are 49 (23%)
and 50 (24%) repectively. While the prevalence of use
of alcohol among the study population was slightly
less compared to use of tobacco. ie., 45 (21%). None of
them reported any other substance use. We applied FIGS
pertained to use of alcohol.
4. Association between MMS positive and FIGS
results with socio demographic factors:
Independent ‘t’test was done, when categorical
variables ( MMS screened positive, alcohol abuse,
withdrawal, dependence) were associated with continous
variables (Age in years, Duration of stay, Total family
income, years of work, No of hours of work per day,
No of days of work per week). The ‘p’value was
significant between no. of hours of work with alcohol
abuse and dependence showing negative association.
The association between the gender and MMS Screened
positive is significantly more in females (p=0.017), more
in rose factory and brick factory (p=0.025), more in
tobacco users (p=0.012), persons with alcohol withdrawal
(p=0.049) and persons with alcohol abuse (p=0.045).
DISCUSSION
Community-based epidemiological studies conducted
in India on mental and behavioural disorders report
varying prevalence rates, ranging from 9.5 to 370 per
1000 population.4 Most Indian studies were focussing on
mental health of women, elderly, child and adolescents.
We could not find any article on mental health status
and alcohol use among migrants in India. Study among
Mexican-bornimmigrants in United Statesby Borges
et al, showed that, despite significant socioeconomic
disadvantages, migrants have better mental health
profiles than do U.S. – born Mexican Americans. They
showed half the mental morbidity of that of Mexican
Americans5.
This study also showed that MMS screened positive
was 18%, diagnosed positive was 0.9% which was
less than the prevalence among general population in
India.The decreased rates of psychopathology in migrant
workers may be related to difficult access to abuse
substances and a decreased frequency of alcohol abuse
among migrant workers. Even though they are exposed
to other risk factors like increased duration of work, high
risk behaviour, other stressors like being away from their
relatives etc., they are mentally healthy may be because,
only resilient healthy persons are migrating out of their
states for occupation. The other reason for less prevalence
of mental disorders in this study population is due to high
proportion of males in this study population (87%). But
that is the normal expected proportion of males among
migrants.
Despite ensuring the confidentiality about the
interview schedule and conducting the interview in
confidential settings, the study population was slightly
reluctant to reveal their problems related to their mental
health probably because of stigma attached. MMS was
used as study tool to assess the psychiatric morbidity
which has sensitivity of 70-96% and specificity of 81-
100% in Indian settings 6.
MMS screened positive was significantly more
among females which is because the psychiatric
morbidity is more in females (especially depression)
even in general female population. But the other reasons
for significant increase in psychiatric morbidity among
female population should be explored in detail in further
studies. The MMS positivity was significantly more
among persons using tobacco (p=0.012), persons with
alcohol withdrawal (p=0.049) and persons with alcohol
abuse (p=0.045).
CONCLUSION
Most of the migrant workers were from West Bengal
(22.8%) followed by Andhra Pradesh, Orissa,Jharkhand
and UP. Majority were contract workers (84.7%). 19.04 %
of the workers reported health problems. MMS screened
positive was found to be 18%, Diagnosed positive - 0.9%,
4%, 2% and 1% were abusing, suffering from withdrawal
and suffering from alcohol dependence respectively.
MMS positivity was associated with alcohol withdrawal,
alcohol abuse, gender (females), with place of work
(rose and brick factory), and health problems. Alcohol
withdrawal and dependence were associated with health
problems, alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse.
Ethical Clearance: Obtained from Institutional
Ethical committee, St.John’s Medical College. Bangalore-
34.
Acknowledgement: We thank all the study
participants. We thank the Faculty and Department of
Community Health for their inputs all along the study and
giving us this opportunity.
Funding: None
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173
Conflict of Interest: None
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AG, The effect of migration to the united states on
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Amorin P, Janavs J, Weiller E et al. The Mini-
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33.
... The meagre data, whatsoever available, for the prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders in the migrant population in India has shown higher rates in comparison to the general population (Firdaus, 2017;Rock et al., 2016). A study by Rock et al. (2016) from Karnataka had reported the prevalence of mental health problems, alcohol and tobacco abuse (smokeless and smoking tobacco) to be 19%, 21% and 23.5%, respectively. ...
... The meagre data, whatsoever available, for the prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders in the migrant population in India has shown higher rates in comparison to the general population (Firdaus, 2017;Rock et al., 2016). A study by Rock et al. (2016) from Karnataka had reported the prevalence of mental health problems, alcohol and tobacco abuse (smokeless and smoking tobacco) to be 19%, 21% and 23.5%, respectively. DivinaKumar et al. (2017) found that 41% of the industrial workers used tobacco. ...
... The overall prevalence of at least one diagnosis on PHQ-9 is 13.45% and the prevalence is significantly higher in reverse migrants (19.3%) in comparison to the undisplaced migrants (7.6), and the prevalence of other depressive disorder is 10.55% and which is again significantly higher in reverse migrants (17.1%) than undisplaced migrants (4.0%). The findings of index study clearly show that the prevalence of mental health issues in the reverse migrants is significantly higher than general population (Chavan et al., 2018) and also higher than the earlier study on migrant population from Karnataka (Rock et al., 2016). The prevalence of depressive disorder (17.1%) in reverse migrants is significantly higher than the general population as well as another study on migrant population (Ismayilova et al., 2014). ...
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... Studies with undocumented workers (Meyer et al., 2016;Harrigan, Chiu, & Amirrudin, 2017;Reijneveld, de Boer, Bean, & Korfker, 2005;Vervliet, De Mol, Broekaert, & Derluyn, 2014;Vervliet, Lammertyn, Broekaert, & Derluyn, 2014) highlight the negative impact of legal insecurity on health outcomes and the increased risk that employers may use threats of deportation during workplace conflicts. Studies with migrant worker groups reporting high rates of alcohol overuse and abuse have also shown much higher rates of mental health problems (Ismayilova et al., 2014;Britto et al., 2016). ...
... Another socio-demographic variable associated with quality of life and mental health symptoms is self-rated physical health (Al-Maskari et al. , 2011;Nadim et al. , 2016). Most participants in this study rated their health as good or very good, whereas migrant workers who rated their health as fair or poor reported increased mental health problems (Britto et al., 2016;Adhikary et al., 2018;Kumparatana et al., 2017). The findings indicated that participants who rated their physical health as poor were more likely to have mental health symptoms. ...
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Full-text available
  • Dec 2022
Background: Migration is a process in which a person moves from one cultural setting to another for a long period of time or permanently, which induces increased adaptation of risky behaviors due to migration stress. This study aimed to identify domestic migration stress and to determine its role in practising precarious behaviours among interstate migrant workers. Methodology: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 313 migrant workers in the Kanchipuram district using a simple random sampling method for recruitment. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data with details on socio-demographic characteristics and precarious behavior profiles, and the 'domestic migration stress scale' was validated. For analysis, variables were described using frequencies, proportions and mean ± standard deviation, appropriately. Inferential statistics like the 'Chi-square test and multiple logistic regressions' were performed to establish the relationship between migration stress and high-risk behavior. Results: Among respondents, 286 (91.37%) were males. The majority were chronic alcoholics [151 (48.56%)], followed by tobacco chewers [106 (33.86%)], chronic smokers [83 (26.51%)], had illicit sexual activity [59 (18.84%)] and drug abusers [4 (1.27%)]. About 247 (78.93%) were under domestic migration stress. Smokers, tobacco chewers and those involved in illicit sexual activity were significant predictor factors. Conclusion: Stress management is paramount, and having the knowledge about their precarious behavior and stress among workers will help in the further development of health promotion strategies for migrant workers.
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... A study from Karnataka conducted in pre-COVID times had reported the prevalence rate of mental health problems as 19%, alcohol current use in 21%, and tobacco in 23% of the migrants. [2] Firdaus analyzed the social environmental issues for the psychological well-being of migrants in an urban centre of India. [3] Some authors reported that migrants had either fewer substancerelated problems, including alcohol use, or were similar to the native population. ...
Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Internal Migrant Workers
Chapter
Full-text available
  • Dec 2021
COVID 19 pandemic was sudden in onset. Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown on March 25, 2020, was the fertile ground for an increase in psychological stress, severe psychiatric disorders, alcohol dependence, and suicidal tendencies among the migrants. In India, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a mental health crisis for migrants and a novel term for psychological crisis among migrants was described as an invisible mental health tsunami.[8] It was the biggest urban dilemma and spread rapidly throughout India, Suicide-related death was associated with this migrant crisis. This pandemic created a severe crisis for them as a prior public health strategy dealing with mental health issues among migrants was completely missing in India.[9] Severe anxiety, loneliness, panic symptoms, and feelings of isolation was observed among migrants. Lots of migrants died due to avoidable accidents.
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... 1 The health of migrants and health associated with migration are crucial public health challenges faced by governments and societies. Based on the study done by Rock et al., 5 it shows that among the migrant workers, 40 (19%) were screened positive for mental health problems and 45 (21%) consumed alcohol. A total of 4%, 2% and 1% of them were abusing, suffering from withdrawal, and suffering from dependence of alcohol. ...
Alcohol Consumption Practices Among Nepali Migrant Workers in Shah Alam, Selangor
Article
Full-text available
  • Sep 2021
Malaysia has been considered an industrialized country and there is a demand for manpower in low-skilled jobs which usually filled by migrant workers. Therefore, this study focused to identify the level of alcohol consumption and its associated factors particularly among Nepali migrant workers in Shah Alam, Selangor. A cross-sectional study using a convenient sampling method was conducted among 233 Nepali migrant workers in Shah Alam, Selangor using a self-administered questionnaire. A validated scoring system by DASS 21 and The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test was employed. The results show that 60.09% of Nepali workers consumed alcohol with most of them are in low (31.43%) and medium (29.28%) risk level for alcohol consumption. The empirical findings reveal a significant association between income, education level, and peer pressure (p value<.001 respectively) with alcohol consumption. However, the study found no association between age, marital status, years of working, and body mass index (p value= 0.44, 0.19, 0.42, 0.40 respectively) with alcohol consumption. In a conclusion, most Nepali migrant workers consume alcohol but in low and medium risk severity for alcohol consumption. The results highlight sociodemographic factors such as income and education as well as peer pressure among important factors affecting alcohol consumption.
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... The retrieved literature also included relatively good volume of publications on mental health of migrant workers and their families. The cultural shock and acculturative stress in addition to barriers to access healthcare services increase the risk of depression, stress and risk of suicide among migrant workers [65][66][67][68]. Furthermore, work environment that might include physical abuse and harassment is a potential cause for negative mental health outcomes [37]. ...
Global output of research on the health of international migrant workers from 2000 to 2017
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2018
Background Approximately 150 million international migrant workers work under conditions that increase their risk of illness and injuries. The current study aimed to assess and analyze the global output of research on the health of international migrant workers to promote national and international policies that could help improve the health of international migrant workers. Methods A bibliometric methodology was implemented using Scopus database after retrieving documents relevant to the health of migrant workers during the study period from 2000 to 2017. Results In total, 955 documents were retrieved. The mean number of authors per document was 4.5 while the mean number of citation per document was 10.2. The retrieved documents were mainly in health policy and systems (n = 452; 47.3%), infectious diseases (n = 252; 26.4%), and mental and psychosocial health (n = 239; 25.0%). The health of Latino migrant farmworkers represented the largest cluster of keywords. The USA led (n = 389; 40.7%) with regard to the number of publications followed by China (n = 86; 9.0%) and the UK (n = 66; 6.9%). Researchers from the USA and Spain dominated the field. There were limited international research collaboration and a limited number and size of research networks. The American Journal of Industrial Medicine was most active (7.1%; n = 68) in publishing documents on health of migrant workers while the Wake Forest University was the most active (10.9%; n = 104) institution in this topic. Conclusion The volume of global research output on the health of migrant workers was low. There was inadequate research on non-communicable diseases and maternal health of migrant workers. International research collaboration and the number of research networks were limited. Role of several world regions, particularly Arab region with 11% of international migrant workforce was also limited. There is an urgent need to prioritize research on migrant workers, especially female migrant workers in regions with low research contribution.
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Mediating Effects of Coping Strategies on the Relationship Between Mental Health and Quality of Life Among Indonesian Female Migrant Workers in Taiwan
Article
  • Nov 2021
Introduction Mental health is a major concern among migrant workers worldwide. More than 200,846 female migrant workers in Taiwan are from Indonesia. The study’s purpose was to investigate mediating effects of coping strategies on the relationship between mental health problems and the quality of life (QoL). Method This cross-sectional study was conducted in Taiwan. In total, 500 Indonesian female migrant workers completed four questionnaires. A mediation test was conducted to estimate direct and indirect effects. Results Coping strategies, namely substance use, behavioral disengagement, denial, and religious dedication, partially mediated the relationship between mental health problems (depression, anxiety, and stress) and QoL among Indonesian female migrant workers in Taiwan. Discussion Health promotion programs should be developed for Indonesian female migrant workers in Taiwan to help them detect and overcome their mental health problems. Interventions that facilitate effective coping strategies should be administered to improve their QoL.
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Mental Health Issues in the Culturally Diverse Construction Workplace: A Literature Review
Chapter
  • Jun 2021
Mental health is a significant topic in the construction industry. In the context of globalization, there is a growing trend of diverse culture in the construction industry which may exacerbate the mental health issues of construction workforce. To better understand the mental health conditions in construction workplace within a diversified culture, a review of previous research studies in this area would be of great importance. This study aims to review literature on mental health in the culturally diverse construction workplace, investigate the research gaps, and provide suggestions of future research directions. Ten academic papers published between 2010 and 2018 were identified. Severe mental health problems were found among people who work in the construction industry with disparate cultures. The studies were identified into two cultural categories. Research on the cross-cultural aspect was mainly focused on the stress management of expatriate construction professionals, while multi-cultural studies primarily investigated the prevalence of mental health problems of construction migrant workers. Based on the research gaps, further research is needed on exploring the stress management of construction workers in a cross-cultural background, investigating the cultural-related stressors, and adopting mixed research approaches.
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Indian Psychiatric epidemiological studies: Learning from the past
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2010
  • Indian J Psychiatr
The objective of this paper is to provide a systematic review on the epidemiology of psychiatric disorders in India based on the data published from 1960 to 2009. Extensive search of PubMed, NeuroMed, Indian Journal of Psychiatry website and MEDLARS using search terms "psychiatry" "prevalence", "community", and "epidemiology" was done along with the manual search of journals and cross-references. Retrieved articles were systematically selected using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Epidemiological studies report prevalence rates for psychiatric disorders varying from 9.5 to 370/1000 population in India. These varying prevalence rates of mental disorders are not only specific to Indian studies but are also seen in international studies. Despite variations in the design of studies, available data from the Indian studies suggests that about 20% of the adult population in the community is affected with one or the other psychiatric disorder. Mental healthcare priorities need to be shifted from psychotic disorders to common mental disorders and from mental hospitals to primary health centers. Increase in invisible mental problems such as suicidal attempts, aggression and violence, widespread use of substances, increasing marital discord and divorce rates emphasize on the need to prioritize and make a paradigm shift in the strategies to promote and provide appropriate mental health services in the community. Future epidemiological research need to focus on the general population from longitudinal prospective involving multi-centers with assessment of disability, co-morbidity, functioning, family burden and quality of life.
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The Effect of Migration to the United States on Substance Use Disorders Among Returned Mexican Migrants and Families of Migrants
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2007
  • AM J PUBLIC HEALTH
We examined the association between substance use disorders and migration to the United States in a nationally representative sample of the Mexican population. We used the World Mental Health version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview to conduct structured, computer-assisted, face-to-face interviews with a cross-sectional sample of household residents aged 18 to 65 years who lived in Mexico in cities with a population of at least 2500 people in 2001 and 2002. The response rate was 76.6%, with 5826 respondents interviewed. Respondents who had migrated to the United States and respondents who had family members who migrated in the United States were more likely to have used alcohol, marijuana, or cocaine at least once in their lifetime; to develop a substance use disorder; and to have a current (in the past 12 months) substance use disorder than were other Mexicans. International migration appears to play a large role in transforming substance use norms and pathology in Mexico. Future studies should examine how networks extending over international boundaries influence substance use.
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Hovey -Monograph series on Migrant mental health issue and substance abuse
  • D Joseph
Joseph D. Hovey -Monograph series on Migrant mental health issue and substance abuse. Available from http://www.ncfh.org/docs/04%20-%20mental.pdf