College of Medicine, Sulaiman Al Rajhi University, Bukaryiah, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2023 Dec;69(8):2087-2096. doi: 10.1177/00207640231188328. Epub 2023 Jul 21.
Migrant workers make up a third of the population of Saudi Arabia, approximately 13 million. Mental health disorders among this population are common, but very limited data exist currently.
To assess the prevalence of moderate to severe symptoms of depression and stress among a sample of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia. To identify whether migrant-specific factors, such as occupation, nationality, duration of migration, and work characteristics, are associated with depressive and stress symptoms.
A cross-sectional study of 2,123 migrants was conducted in Al Qassim, Saudi Arabia. Depressive and stress symptoms were assessed with the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). The outcomes were categorized into two levels (i.e. mild or no symptoms versus moderate to severe symptoms). Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regressions were used to assess the relationship with potential covariates.
The prevalence of moderate to severe depressive and stress symptoms was 7.3% and 3.6%, respectively. These did not vary by the duration of stay in the country or weekly work hours. However, there was substantial variance in the symptoms by participants' nationality and occupation. Participants from Bangladesh were 3.8 (95% CI [1.50, 9.62]) times more likely, and hospital cleaners were 6.5 (95% CI [2.12, 20.07]) times more likely to have depressive symptoms. Similarly, auto-repair workers were 6.3 times more likely to have symptoms of stress (95% CI [1.55, 25.90]).
The prevalence of depressive and stress symptoms varied significantly depending on occupation and country of origin. It would behoove employers to screen for these mental health conditions and refer employees to the relevant healthcare services. Future studies could examine the feasibility of mental health screening programs among migrant employees.
在沙特阿拉伯，流动人口占总人口的三分之一，约为 1300 万。该人群的精神健康障碍较为常见，但目前的数据非常有限。
评估沙特阿拉伯移民工人样本中中重度抑郁和压力症状的患病率。确定移民特有的因素，如职业、国籍、移民时间和工作特点，是否与抑郁和压力症状有关。
在沙特阿拉伯盖西姆省进行了一项横断面研究，共调查了 2123 名移民。使用抑郁、焦虑和压力量表（DASS-21）评估抑郁和压力症状。结果分为两个水平（即轻度或无症状与中重度症状）。使用单变量和多变量二元逻辑回归评估与潜在协变量的关系。
中重度抑郁和压力症状的患病率分别为 7.3%和 3.6%。这两个比例与在该国停留的时间或每周工作时间无关。然而，参与者的国籍和职业对症状有很大的影响。孟加拉国参与者患抑郁症状的风险高 3.8 倍（95%CI [1.50, 9.62]），医院清洁工患抑郁症状的风险高 6.5 倍（95%CI [2.12, 20.07]）。同样，汽车修理工患压力症状的风险高 6.3 倍（95%CI [1.55, 25.90]）。
抑郁和压力症状的患病率因职业和原籍国而异。雇主应该对这些心理健康状况进行筛查，并将员工转介到相关的医疗保健服务。未来的研究可以研究移民员工心理健康筛查计划的可行性。
