| Title: |
Mental health among people with a migration background in Belgium over the past 20 years: how has the situation evolved? |
| Authors: |
Camille Duveau, Pierre Smith, Vincent Lorant |
| Source: |
Archives of Public Health, Vol 81, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2023) |
| Publisher Information: |
BMC, 2023. |
| Publication Year: |
2023 |
| Collection: |
LCC:Public aspects of medicine |
| Subject Terms: |
Mental health, Migrants, Ethnic minorities, Depression, Psychological distress, Public aspects of medicine, RA1-1270 |
| More Details: |
Abstract Background Poor mental health is highly stigmatized and stereotyped, even more when it comes to migrant and ethnic minority groups (MEM). Belgium, which has a long history of immigration, is a good case study for analysing how the prevalence of mental illness (MI) has evolved over time and how such evolution had differed between MEM. This paper seeks to explore the prevalence of MI and potential inequalities among MEM compared to native Belgians between 1997 and 2018, shedding light on this important issue. Methods The data set is composed of the six cross-sectional waves of the Belgian Health Interview Survey from 1997 to 2018. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire was used to assess the average level of mental health and the prevalence of MI (score ≥ 4) among five major MEM groups in Belgium (Belgian, Moroccan, Turkish, European migrants, and non-European migrants). Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to assess the likelihood of having a MI in the different MEM groups and survey years. The minimal clinically important difference (MID) was also calculated for the severity of MI. Results After controlling for socioeconomic status, the average marginal effect indicated a decrease in mental health among Moroccans and Turks in Belgium between 1997 and 2018, compared to Belgians. This result was confirmed by the Chi²-test, which showed that Turkish (χ²=17.75, p |
| Document Type: |
article |
| File Description: |
electronic resource |
| Language: |
English |
| ISSN: |
2049-3258 |
| Relation: |
https://doaj.org/toc/2049-3258 |
| DOI: |
10.1186/s13690-023-01187-z |
| Access URL: |
https://doaj.org/article/cff37cd0b4564f29a213728044fb5eb6 |
| Accession Number: |
edsdoj.ff37cd0b4564f29a213728044fb5eb6 |
| Database: |
Directory of Open Access Journals |
