A recently published study led by Dr. Peter Schofield found that refugees living in a neighborhood with a higher proportion of co-nationals were less likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, like schizophrenia, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The study is published in the journal Psychological Medicine.
Refugees are at an elevated risk of some mental disorders with studies highlighting the contributing role of post-migration factors. Studies of migrant groups show neighborhood social composition, such as ethnic density, to be an important factor. However, despite the potential relevance of social composition, only one neighborhood ethnic density study to date has looked specifically at refugees.
The researchers examined three aspects of neighborhood social composition, including the proportion of co-nationals, refugees and first-generation migrants. This was then compared with data from the Danish Psychiatric Central Register, including all psychiatric in-patient admissions and, since 1995, all out-patient visits.
“In our study we look at the type of places where refugees end up living and how this can influence their mental health. We found that refugees in neighborhoods with more people from their own country were noticeably less likely to be diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It was noticeable that simply living in an area with other migrants made little difference,” said Dr. Schofield.
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