nach oben

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology

Erschienen in:

01.05.2014 | Original Paper

Mental health literacy among refugee communities: differences between the Australian lay public and the Iraqi and Sudanese refugee communities

verfasst von: Samantha May, Ronald M. Rapee, Mariano Coello, Shakeh Momartin, Jorge Aroche

Erschienen in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Ausgabe 5/2014

Einloggen, um Zugang zu erhalten

Abstract

Purpose

This study investigated differences in mental health knowledge and beliefs between participants from the Iraqi and Sudanese refugee communities, and Australian-born individuals, in Sydney, Australia.

Methods

Ninety-seven participants were given vignettes of characters describing symptoms of major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress. They were required to identify psychological symptoms as disorders, rate beliefs about the causes of and helpful treatments for these disorders, and rate attitude statements regarding the two characters.

Results

Australian participants recognized the presented symptoms as specific mental disorders significantly more than Iraqi and Sudanese participants did, and reported causal and treatment beliefs which were more congruent with expert beliefs as per the western medical model of mental disorder. The Sudanese group endorsed supernatural and religious causal beliefs regarding depression and posttraumatic stress symptoms most often; but both Sudanese and Iraqi participants strongly supported options from the supernatural and religious treatment items. However, evidence for pluralistic belief systems was also found.

Conclusions

Although sampling was non-random, suggesting caution in the interpretation of results, it appears that the mental health literacy of lay Australians may be more aligned with the western medical model of mental disorder than that of Iraqi and Sudanese refugee communities. Mental health literacy support needs of Iraqi and Sudanese refugee communities resettled in western countries such as Australia might include education about specific symptoms and causes of mental disorder and the effectiveness of psychiatric treatments. These findings provide useful directions for the promotion of optimal service utilization among such communities.

Nur mit Berechtigung zugänglich

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Field information and coordination support section (2011) 2010 global trends. UNHCR division of programme support and management. http://www.unhcr.org/4a375c426.html. Accessed 22 March 2012

Fazel M, Wheeler J, Danesh J (2005) Prevalence of serious mental disorder in 7000 refugees resettled in western countries: a systematic review. Lancet 365:1309–1314PubMedCrossRef

Steel Z, Chey T, Silove D, Marnane C, Bryant RA, Van Ommeren M (2009) Association of torture and other potentially traumatic events with mental health outcomes among populations exposed to mass conflict and displacement. JAMA 302(5)

Lindencrona F, Ekblad S, Hauff E (2008) Mental health of recently resettled refugees from the Middle East in Sweden: the impact of pre-resettlement trauma, resettlement stree, and capacity to handle stress. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 43:121–131PubMedCrossRef

Gerritsen AAM, Bramsen I, Deville W, Van Willigen LHM, Hovens JE, Van der Ploeg HM (2006) Physical and mental health of Afghan, Iranian and Somali asylum seekers and refugees living in the Netherlands. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 41:18–26PubMedCrossRef

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (2011) Refugee resettlement: an international handbook to guide reception and integration

Department of immigration and citizenship (2011) Fact sheet 60—Australia’s refugee and humanitarian program. National communications branch, Commonwealth of Australia 2007. http://www.immi.gov.au/media/fact-sheets/60refugee.htm. Accessed 23 March 2012

Nickerson A, Bryant RA, Brooks R, Steel Z, Silove D (2009) Fear of cultural extinction and psychopathology among Mandaean refugees: an exploratory path analysis. CNS Neurosci Ther 15:227–236PubMedCrossRef

Schweitzer R, Melville F, Steel Z, Lacherez P (2006) Trauma, post-migration living difficulties, and social support as predictors of psychological adjustment in resettled Sudanese refugees. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 40:179–187PubMedCrossRef

10.

Department of health and ageing (2013) Australian Government. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-torture. Accessed 1 June 2013

11.

Laban CJ, Gernaat HBPE, Komproe IH, De Jong JTVM (2007) Prevalence and predictors of health service use among Iraqi asylum seekers in the Netherlands. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 42:837–844PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

12.

Khawaja NG, White KM, Schweitzer R, Greenslade J (2008) Difficulties and coping strategies of Sudanese refugees: a qualitative approach. Transcult Psychiatry 45(3):489–512PubMedCrossRef

13.

Silove D, Steel Z, Bauman A, Chey T, McFarlane AC (2007) Trauma, PTSD and the longer-term mental health burden amongst Vietnamese refugees. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 42:467–476PubMedCrossRef

14.

Wagner R, Manicavasagar V, Silove D, Marnane C, Tran VT (2006) Characteristics of Vietnamese patients attending an anxiety clinic in Australia and perceptions of the wider Vietnamese community about anxiety. Transcult Psychiatry 43:259–274PubMedCrossRef

15.

Gong-Guy E, Cravens RB, Patterson TE (1991) Clinical issues in mental health service delivery to refugees. Am Psychol 46(6):642–648PubMedCrossRef

16.

Fenta H, Hyman I, Noh S (2006) Mental health service utilization by Ethiopian immigrants and refugees in Toronto. J Nerv Ment Dis 194(12):925–934PubMedCrossRef

17.

Fung K, Wong Y-LR (2007) Factors influencing attitudes towards seeking professional help among east and southeast Asian immigrant and refugee women. Int J Soc Psychiatry 53(3):216–231PubMedCrossRef

18.

Guerin B, Guerin P, Diiriye RO, Yates S (2004) Somali conceptions and expectations concerning mental health: some guidelines for mental health professionals. N Z J Psychol 33(2):59–67

19.

McLachlan M, Carr SC (1994) From dissonance to tolerance: toward managing health in tropical cultures. Psychol Dev Soc 6(2):119–129

20.

Kabir M, Iliyasu Z, Abubakar IS, Aliyu MH (2004) Perception and beliefs about mental illness among adults in Karfi village, northern Nigeria. BMC Int Health Hum Rights 4(3)

21.

Furnham A, Igboaka A (2007) Young people’s recognition and understanding of schizophrenia: a cross-cultural study of young people from Britain and Nigeria. Int J Soc Psychiatry 53:430–446PubMedCrossRef

22.

Agara AJ, Makanjuola AB, Morakinyo OB (2008) Management of perceived mental health problems by spiritual healers: a Nigerian study. African J Psychiatry 11:113–118CrossRef

23.

Teuton J, Dowrick C, Bentall RP (2007) How healers manage the pluralistic healing context: the perspective of indigenous, religious and allopathic healers in relation to psychosis in Uganda. Soc Sci Med 65(6):1260–1273PubMedCrossRef

24.

Jorm AF (2000) Mental health literacy: public knowledge and beliefs about mental disorders. Br J Psychiatry 177:396–401PubMedCrossRef

25.

Lauber C, Nordt C, Falcato L, Rossler W (2003) Do people recognise mental illness? Factors influencing mental health literacy. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 253:248–251PubMedCrossRef

26.

Herran A, Vazquez-Barquero JL, Dunn G (1999) Patients’ attribution style is important factor. Br Med J 318:1558CrossRef

27.

Kessler D, Lloyd K, Lewis G, Pereira Gray D (1999) Cross sectional study of symptom attribution and recognition of depression and anxiety in primary care. BMJ 318:436–440PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

28.

Jorm AF, Korten AE, Jacomb PA, Christensen H, Rodgers B, Polliti P (1997) “Mental health literacy”: a survey of the public’s ability to recognise mental disorders and their beliefs about the effectiveness of treatment. Med J Aust 166:182–186PubMed

29.

Lauber C, Nordt C, Falcato L, Rossler W (2003) Do people recognise mental illness? Factors influencing mental health literacy. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 253(5):248–251PubMedCrossRef

30.

Link BG, Phelan JC, Bresnahan M, Stueve A, Pescosolido BA (1999) Public conceptions of mental illness: labels, causes, dangerousness, and social distance. Am J Public Health 89(9):1328–1333PubMedCentralPubMedCrossRef

31.

Jorm AF, Barney LJ, Christensen H, Highet NJ, Kelly CM, Kitchener BA (2006) Research on mental health literacy: what we know and what we still need to know. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 40(1):3–5PubMedCrossRef

32.

Thompson A, Hunt C, Issakidis C (2004) Why wait? Reasons for delay and prompts to seek help for mental health problems in an Australian clinical sample. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 39:810–817PubMed

33.

Jorm AF, Medway J, Christensen H, Korten AE, Jacomb PA, Rodgers B (2000) Attitudes towards people with depression: effects on the public’s help-seeking and outcome when experiencing common psychiatric symptoms. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 34:612–618PubMedCrossRef

34.

Barney LJ, Griffiths KM, Jorm AF, Christensen H (2006) Stigma about depression and its impact on help-seeking intentions. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 40(1):51–54PubMedCrossRef

35.

Jorm AF, Korten AE, Rodgers B, Pollitt P, Jacomb PA, Christensen H, Jiao Z (1997) Belief systems of the general public concerning the appropriate treatments for mental disorders. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 32(8):468–473PubMed

36.

Kitchener BA, Jorm AF (2005) Mental health first aid training: a review of evaluation studies. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 40:6–8CrossRef

37.

Minas H, Colucci E, Jorm AF (2009) Evaluation of Mental Health First Aid training with members of the Vietnamese community in Melbourne, Australia. International Journal of Mental Health Systems 3 (19)

38.

Kemp C, Rasbridge LA (2004) Refugee and immigrant health: a handbook for health professionals. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

39.

Department of mental health and substance abuse (2011) mental health atlas: Australia. World Health Organisation

40.

Department of mental health and substance abuse (2011) mental health atlas: Iraq. World Health Organisation

41.

Department of mental health and substance abuse (2005) mental health atlas: Iraq. World Health Organisation

42.

World Health Organisation (2006) WHO-AIMS report on mental health system in Iraq. Ministry of Health Iraq, Baghdad

43.

Bolton P (2013) Mental health in Iraq: issues and challenges. Lancet 381:879–881PubMedCrossRef

44.

Alhasnawi S, Sadik S, Rasheed M, Baban A, Al-Alak MM, Othman AY, Othman Y, Ismet N, Shawani O, Murthy S, AlJadiry M, Chatterij S, Al-Gasseer N, Streel E, Naidoo N, Ali MM, Gruber MJ, Petukhova M, Sampson N, Kessler RC (2009) The prevalence and correlates of DSM-IV disorders in the Iraq Mental Health Survey (IMHS). World Psychiatry 8:97–109PubMedCentralPubMed

45.

World Health Organisation (2009) WHO-AIMS report on mental health system in Sudan. Ministry of Health Sudan, Khartoum

46.

Boniface D, Khasim T, Manikese J, Dijkman L (2009) Developing mental health and psychosocial support interventions in an extremely resource poor context: a case example from Southern Sudan. Intervention 7(2):138–144CrossRef

47.

Department of mental health and substance abuse (2011) mental health atlas: Sudan. World Health Organisation

48.

Al-Krenawi A, Graham JR (2005) Mental health practice in Arab countries. Curr Opin Psychiatry 18(5):560–564PubMedCrossRef

49.

Suhail K (2005) A study investigating mental health literacy in Pakistan. J Ment Health 14(2):167–181CrossRef

50.

American Psychiatric Association (1994) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Text Revision, 4th edn. American Psychiatric Association, Washington

51.

Flaskerud JH (1988) Is the Likert scale format culturally biased? Nurs Res 37(3):185–186PubMedCrossRef

52.

Jorm AF, Korten AE, Jacomb PA, Christensen H, Rodgers B, Polliti P (1997) Public beliefs about causes and risk factors for depression and schizophrenia. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 32(3):143–148PubMed

53.

McKeon P, Carrick S (1991) Public attitudes to depression: a national survey. Ir J Psychol Med 8(2):116–121

54.

Angermeyer MC, Matschinger H (1999) Social representations of mental illness among the public. In: Guimon J, Fischer W, Sartorius N (eds) The image of madness: the public facing mental illness and psychiatric treatment. Karger, Basel, pp 20–28CrossRef

55.

Furnham A, Baguma P (1999) Cross-cultural differences in explanations for health and illness: a British and Ugandan comparison. Ment Health Religion Cult 2:121–134CrossRef

Titel: Mental health literacy among refugee communities: differences between the Australian lay public and the Iraqi and Sudanese refugee communities
verfasst von: Samantha May
Ronald M. Rapee
Mariano Coello
Shakeh Momartin
Jorge Aroche
Publikationsdatum: 01.05.2014
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Erschienen in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Ausgabe 5/2014
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Elektronische ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-013-0793-9

Neu im Fachgebiet Psychiatrie

18.04.2024 | Arterielle Hypertonie | Nachrichten

Update Psychiatrie

Bestellen Sie unseren Fach-Newsletter und bleiben Sie gut informiert.

Newsletter bestellen

Live-Webinar: Aktuelle Leitlinien bei Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen

Springer Medizin

Mental health literacy among refugee communities: differences between the Australian lay public and the Iraqi and Sudanese refugee communities

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Neu im Fachgebiet Psychiatrie

Antihypertensiva schützen auch alte Menschen noch vor Demenz

Delir kann Demenz begünstigen

Zunahme von Geschlechtsinkongruenz und -dysphorie registriert

Vitiligo: Prävalenz steigt und viele Erkrankte werden spät behandelt

Update Psychiatrie

Live-Webinar: Aktuelle Leitlinien bei Herz-Kreislauf-Erkrankungen

Springer Medizin

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Bitte loggen Sie sich ein, um Zugang zu diesem Inhalt zu erhalten

Weitere Artikel der Ausgabe 5/2014

Antenatal maternal mental health as determinant of postpartum depression in a population based mother–child cohort (Rhea Study) in Crete, Greece

Genetic attributions and mental illness diagnosis: effects on perceptions of danger, social distance, and real helping decisions

Configurations of early risk and their association with academic, cognitive, emotional and behavioural outcomes in middle childhood

Comorbid anxiety disorders alter the association between cardiovascular diseases and depression: the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey

Community attitudes and social distance towards the mentally ill in South Sudan: a survey from a post-conflict setting with no mental health services

Predictors of immigrant children’s mental health in Canada: selection, settlement contingencies, culture, or all of the above?

Neu im Fachgebiet Psychiatrie

Antihypertensiva schützen auch alte Menschen noch vor Demenz

Delir kann Demenz begünstigen

Zunahme von Geschlechtsinkongruenz und -dysphorie registriert

Vitiligo: Prävalenz steigt und viele Erkrankte werden spät behandelt

Update Psychiatrie