Independent Scholar, Halle, Germany.
Zentrum für Klinische Epidemiologie; Institut für Medizinische Informatik, Biometrie und Epidemiologie, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Essen, Germany.
Eur J Epidemiol. 2016 Jul;31(7):703-6. doi: 10.1007/s10654-016-0148-4. Epub 2016 Apr 11.
Asylum seekers constitute a particularly vulnerable group. Not only is their physical and mental health exposed to multiple stresses, but also their access to health care in Germany is legally restricted. Up to now, there is very limited scientific literature investigating the health-outcomes of asylum seekers in Germany. The aim of this study was to provide prevalence data on the morbidity and vaccination status of asylum seekers in a medium-sized German city. We used a structured questionnaire in a cross-sectional study on 214 adult asylum seekers (182 males, 24 females, 8 unknown) in Halle, Germany, 2015. The questionnaire inquired about the respondent's self-reported physical health and vaccination status and assessed their mental health using the Hopkins-Symptom-Checklist-25 and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. Pain (37.9 %) and psychological illness (depression: 54.7 %, anxiety disorder: 40.2 %; post-traumatic stress disorder: 18.2 %) were the most prevalent complaints. Among asylum seekers with psychological complaints, co-morbidity was high (64.2 % had more than one psychological disease). 5.6 % of the respondents mentioned suicidal thoughts. The prevalence of chronic diseases was low. We suggest interventions to improve asylum seekers' health on two levels: first, the obligatory initial medical examination after the refugees' arrival at the reception centre should be complemented with questions related to the vaccination status and the most common complaints including pain and psychological diseases. Second, medical infrastructure should be expanded to better serve the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse patient populations, so that those screened positive can be referred for early diagnosis and treatment.
寻求庇护者构成了一个特别脆弱的群体。他们不仅身心健康面临多重压力，而且在德国获得医疗保健的机会也受到法律限制。到目前为止，关于德国寻求庇护者健康结果的科学文献非常有限。本研究的目的是提供德国一个中等城市寻求庇护者发病率和疫苗接种状况的流行数据。我们在德国哈雷对 214 名成年寻求庇护者（182 名男性，24 名女性，8 名未知）进行了横断面研究，使用了结构化问卷。问卷询问了受访者的自我报告的身体健康和疫苗接种状况，并使用 Hopkins 症状检查表-25 和哈佛创伤问卷评估了他们的心理健康。疼痛（37.9%）和心理疾病（抑郁症：54.7%，焦虑症：40.2%；创伤后应激障碍：18.2%）是最常见的抱怨。在有心理投诉的寻求庇护者中，共病率很高（64.2%有不止一种心理疾病）。5.6%的受访者提到自杀念头。慢性病的患病率较低。我们建议在两个层面上改善寻求庇护者的健康状况：首先，在难民抵达接待中心后进行强制性的初步体检时，应补充与疫苗接种状况以及最常见的投诉（包括疼痛和心理疾病）相关的问题。其次，应扩大医疗基础设施，以更好地满足文化和语言多样化患者群体的需求，以便对筛查呈阳性的患者进行早期诊断和治疗。
