Trends and Impact Factors of Mental Health Service Utilization among Resettled Humanitarian Migrants in Australia: Findings from the BNLA Cohort Study

Meng Zheng, Feng Chen, Yan Pan, Di Kong, Andre M. N. Renzaho, Berhe W. Sahle, Rashidul Alam Mahumud, Li Ling and Wen Chen ()
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Meng Zheng: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
Feng Chen: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
Yan Pan: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
Di Kong: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
Andre M. N. Renzaho: School of Medicine, Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW 2751, Australia
Berhe W. Sahle: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC 3125, Australia
Rashidul Alam Mahumud: NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006, Australia
Li Ling: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
Wen Chen: Department of Medical Statistics, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: Resettled humanitarian migrants (HMs) have high levels of mental disorders, but factors associated with the utilization of mental health services (MHS) are poorly understood. We aimed to explore trends and impact factors of MHS utilization among HMs in the process of resettlement in Australia. A total of 2311 HMs from the 1st (2013), 3rd, and 5th (2018) waves of a national cohort study were included. MHS utilization in the past year was assessed by two indicators: having MHS contacts and the frequency of MHS contacts. Trends were identified by Cochran–Armitage tests, and generalized linear mixed models and ordered logistic models were fitted to explore impact factors of MHS utilization. The proportion of having MHS contacts significantly rose from 13.0% to 29.4% over the five years. MHS utilization was mainly driven by perceived needs, such as post-traumatic stress disorders and the degree of post-migration stress. Unemployment and strong belongingness to the local community were also associated with having MHS contacts. No significant gender difference was found in having MHS contacts but females tended to contact MHS more frequently. Resettled HMs have a persistent dilemma of high mental illness prevalence and MHS underutilization. Sustainable mental health education and long-term resettlement services targeted at social integration that consider gender difference are urgently needed in host countries.

Keywords: humanitarian migrants; mental health service; impact factors; resettlement; gender difference; BNLA project (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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