Psychiatric morbidity among repatriated Greek migrants in a rural area

The impact of ethnicity, place of residence and socioeconomic status on health-related quality of life: results from a Greek health survey

OBJECTIVES

The impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on health previously studied demonstrates that low SES relates to lower health. In Greece, related studies are limited and focused on native population. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of residence, ethnicity and SES on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

METHODS

The study was carried out in Thessaly using a sample of 1,372 individuals (18+ years old, response rate 91.4%) via face-to-face interview. Multiple stepwise linear regression analyses were performed investigating the impact of the above factors on HRQoL, measured by SF-36. Interaction effects between socioeconomic and demographic variables were performed.

RESULTS

Disadvantage of SES, i.e. primary education and low income, was associated with impaired HRQoL in physical and mental health. Albanians reported better HRQoL compared to Greeks but after controlling for SES factors health disparities became insignificant. Rural residents were related to better general and mental health.

CONCLUSIONS

SES is an independent predictor of HRQoL, but ethnicity and place of residence had weak impact. Investigating the underline mechanisms that impair HRQoL, so as to take policies that will elucidate the risk of poor health in disadvantage groups, is important.

Psychopathology and mental health service utilization by immigrants' children and their families

To investigate the psychopathology of immigrants' children and psychiatric service utilization by the immigrant families, data were collected from the files of all 35 immigrant children seen over a 3-year period at the Community Mental Health Centre of the Athens University Psychiatric Department. Immigrant children were matched by age, gender and intake date with 70 Greek children. Data concerned information about the child's place of birth, current living conditions, parents' country of origin, social and economic situation, occupations and educational status, social insurance, psychiatric history, referral source, diagnostic and therapeutic services rendered, number of sessions and outcome. Utilization of services was assessed 6 months after intake. No significant differences were found regarding family's structure and parents' psychopathology. However, immigrant families had significantly worse economic situations, lower status jobs, worse housing and were usually uninsured. No significant differences were observed regarding service utilization parameters, except concerning 'cooperation with other services' No differences were found regarding frequency or type of psychiatric diagnosis. However, 91% of the immigrant group received a psychosocial diagnosis as opposed to 49% of the Greek group. Immigrant children did not present more serious or diverse psychopathology than did Greek children. Immigrant families had equal levels of service utilization as Greek families. However, it was apparent that immigrant families did not apply for help as readily as their Greek counterparts.

Depression and anxiety: a comparison of older-aged Greek-born immigrants and Anglo-Australians

OBJECTIVE

To compare depressive and anxiety illness in an older-aged sample of Greek-born (GB) immigrants who were likely to have been excluded from the National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing due to their lack of fluency in the English language and for whom rates of mental disorder are unknown, with a comparably recruited sample of Anglo-Australians (AA).

METHOD

One hundred and forty-six GB and 146 AA respondents with a mean age of 68 years living in Melbourne and recruited through social clubs, completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-2) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) in addition to socio-demographic and other background questions.

RESULTS

Greek-born respondents exhibited higher depression and anxiety scores and reported more depressive and anxiety symptomatology than the AA respondents. More GB respondents (17.1%) were likely to be included in the moderate to severe BDI-2 depression categories than AA (4.1%). Greek-born respondents (43.1%) were more likely to be included in the higher anxiety categories (i.e. score 41-80) of the STAI than the AA (15.8%). However, when controlling for health, economic and social factors there was no difference in the BDI-2 measures between the two groups. Despite controlling for these factors the GB still scored more highly on STAI measures than AA respondents.

CONCLUSIONS

No differences were found between groups on measures of depression once controlling for age, education and occupational level, current financial status, marital status, household composition, current work status, physical health and stress. Such factors were also shown to influence group-differences anxiety but they not entirely explain group differences. Higher anxiety in GB respondents were likely to have been determined through the effects of additional but unmeasured cultural and immigrant status factors. Psychological morbidity in immigrants is best accounted for by considering the influence of social, health and other living conditions in addition to the effects of culture or immigrant status.