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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 12/2009

01-12-2009 | Original Paper

Risk of mental disorders in refugees and native Danes: a register-based retrospective cohort study

Authors: Marie Norredam, A. Garcia-Lopez, N. Keiding, A. Krasnik

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 12/2009

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Abstract

Background

Refugees are vulnerable to mental health disorders because of migration trauma. However, register-based prevalence studies are missing.

Aims

To investigate the risk of mental disorders among refugees compared with that among native Danes.

Method

Refugees (n = 29,139), who received residence permission in Denmark from 1.1.1993 to 31.12.1999 were matched 1:4 on age and sex with native Danes (n = 116,556). Civil registration numbers were linked to the Danish Psychiatric Central Register to obtain data on ICD-10 diagnosis upon discharge for all first-time psychiatric hospital contacts for refugees (n = 2,120) and native Danes (n = 5,044) between 1.1.1994 and 31.12.2003. Treated prevalence was then calculated using a Poisson regression model.

Results

Refugee men (RR = 2.02; 95%CI = 1.75–2.34) and refugee women (RR = 1.49; 95%CI = 1.29–1.72) had higher overall risks of having a first-time psychiatric contact for mental disorders than did native Danes; specific risks of psychotic, affective and neurotic disorders were even higher. The results were most striking for refugee men, and for refugees from the former Yugoslavia, Iraq and the Middle East.

Conclusions

Refugees have high rates of various mental disorders. Healthcare services should target refugees’ mental health from arrival in the receiving country.
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Metadata
Title
Risk of mental disorders in refugees and native Danes: a register-based retrospective cohort study
Authors
Marie Norredam
A. Garcia-Lopez
N. Keiding
A. Krasnik
Publication date
01-12-2009
Publisher
D. Steinkopff-Verlag
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 12/2009
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-009-0024-6

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