Psychological distress among unemployed migrants settling in southwestern Spain: A cross-sectional study.
Journal
Medicine
ISSN: 1536-5964
Titre abrégé: Medicine (Baltimore)
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 2985248R
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
12 Apr 2024
12 Apr 2024
Historique:
medline:
12
4
2024
pubmed:
12
4
2024
entrez:
12
4
2024
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Migrants living in the informal settlements of Southern Spain tend to have precarious employment and poor living conditions, making then vulnerable to mental health issues. This study aimed to assess psychological distress in a sample of unemployed migrants residing in informal settlements in the province of Huelva (southern Spain), during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the months of April to June 2021, through a heteroadministered questionnaire, in informal settlements. The measurement instrument was the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), used to analyze psychological distress, and other sociodemographic and health-related variables. Univariate and bivariate descriptive data analysis were performed, using the nonparametric statistics Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Tau β correlation. A categorical regression analysis was performed to study the relationship between psychological distress and the rest of the variables. The sample consisted of 317 subjects, 83.9% of whom were males, and the mean age was 33.4 years (SD = 10.7 years). The mean score obtained in the GHQ-12 questionnaire was 13.69 points (SD = 3.86). Significant differences were found between levels of psychological distress and substance abuse (H = 14.085; P = .049), people who wished to stay in Spain (t = 6987; P = .049), people who experienced isolation due to COVID-19 contact (t = 1379.5; P = .001), people who needed medical assistance due to COVID-19 (t = 7.990; P = .018), and those who reported having chronic illnesses (t = 2686.5, P = .02). The mean score of psychological distress indicates general high levels of psychological distress. Participants who had experienced isolation due to COVID-19 contact, who consumed substances, and who had chronic illnesses reported the highest levels of psychological distress.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38608085
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000037418
pii: 00005792-202404120-00040
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
e37418Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose.
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