https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0271-8000
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ABSTRACT
Background
Young migrants face multiple challenges that can affect their mental, sexual and reproductive health.
Objective
To assess the prevalence of self-reported poor mental health and its associated demographic, post-migration and sexual risk behaviour factors among young migrants (aged 15–25) in Sweden.
Methods
Data were drawn from a cross-sectional survey conducted with migrants aged 15–65 years old in Sweden between December 2018 and November 2019 (n = 6449). Among these, 990 participants aged 15–25 were eligible for the study. Mental health was measured using the Refugee Health Screener-13. Missing data indicator analysis and multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the association between mental health, sexual risk behaviour, demographic and migration-related variables.
Results
Of the 990 participants, 59% reported poor mental health. Participants reporting poor mental health were more likely to be female (AOR:1.63, 95% CI:1.18–2.25), to have lived in Sweden more than three years (AOR:2.16, 95% CI:1.17–3.97), to engage in any sexual risk behaviour (AOR:1.99, 95% CI:1.25–3.17), and to live alone (AOR:1.95, 95% CI:1.25–3.03) or with friends they already knew (AOR:1.60, 95% CI:1.37–4.91). People arriving from the Americas (AOR:0.54, 95% CI:0.33–0.88), Asia (AOR:0.44, 95% CI:0.22–0.86), Europe (AOR:0.30, 95% CI:0.14–0.61) and Africa (AOR 0.37, 95% CI: 0.23–0.60) had lower odds of poor mental health than those arriving from Syria.
Conclusion
The prevalence of poor mental health among young migrants in Sweden was high, with specific subgroups (women, asylum seekers, people arriving from Syria, and those residing longer in Sweden) being particularly vulnerable. Our results indicate the interconnectedness between poor mental health and sexual risk behaviour in this population. Thus, policies targeting young migrants should ensure that healthcare services screen for both poor sexual and mental health at the same time.
Responsible Editor Stig Wall
Responsible Editor Stig Wall
Acknowledgments
The authors want to thank the participants who took part in this research. We also thank Veronika Tirado, PhD candidate at Karolinska Institutet, for her input and support in different phases of the project implementation. We also thank Invandrar Index, David Saleh, and Maria Stålgren for assisting with data collection.
Authors’ contributions
Substantial contributions to the conception and design of the work, acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the data for the work; Drafting the work and revising it critically for important intellectual content; Final approval of the version to be published; Agreed to be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved (all authors).
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Paper context
Young migrants in Sweden can face challenges impacting their mental, and sexual and reproductive health. We assessed a sample of 990 migrants aged 15–25 for mental health prevalence, including associations with sexual risk behaviours and migration-related factors. Poor mental health (prevalence = 59%) was linked to female gender, longer stay in Sweden, sexual risk behaviour, risk propensity, and lower education levels. These findings call for accessible mental health services, prevention of risk behaviour, and targeted support.
Supplementary data
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2023.2294592.