Prolonged periods of waiting for an asylum decision and the risk of psychiatric diagnoses: a 22-year longitudinal cohort study from Denmark
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Prolonged periods of waiting for an asylum decision and the risk of psychiatric diagnoses : a 22-year longitudinal cohort study from Denmark. / Hvidtfeldt, Camilla; Petersen, Jørgen Holm; Norredam, Marie.
I: International Journal of Epidemiology, Bind 49, Nr. 2, 2020, s. 400-409.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Prolonged periods of waiting for an asylum decision and the risk of psychiatric diagnoses
T2 - a 22-year longitudinal cohort study from Denmark
AU - Hvidtfeldt, Camilla
AU - Petersen, Jørgen Holm
AU - Norredam, Marie
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among resettled refugees necessitates identification of factors that reduce the risk of mental illness. In this 22-year longitudinal cohort study, we assessed whether the length of asylum-decision waiting periods is associated with resettled refugees' risk of being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. METHODS: We used full-population data from the Danish Civil Registration System to establish a cohort of 46 104 refugees resettled in Denmark during 1995-2016. Hazard ratios (HRs) for first-time psychiatric hospital contact (ICD-10) after residence permit issuance across varying lengths of asylum-decision waiting periods were estimated by cross-linkage with the Danish National Patient Register. RESULTS: Long asylum-decision waiting periods were associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders. Compared with refugees who waited 0-6 months for their asylum decision, the HRs of any psychiatric diagnosis were 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.33] for those who waited 13-24 months and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.27-1.69) for those who waited 25-71 months. Associations varied across diagnoses and length of follow-up: whereas the risk of nervous disorders increased with longer asylum-decision waiting periods in the follow-ups of 0-2.9, 3-5.9 and 6-11.9 years, the risk of psychotic disorders was associated with longer asylum-decision procedures only in the 0-2.9-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: Resettled refugees who waited longer than 1 year for an asylum decision face an increased risk of psychiatric disorders. Host countries should consider that long asylum-decision waiting periods could lead to mental illness among refugees.
AB - BACKGROUND: The high prevalence of psychiatric disorders among resettled refugees necessitates identification of factors that reduce the risk of mental illness. In this 22-year longitudinal cohort study, we assessed whether the length of asylum-decision waiting periods is associated with resettled refugees' risk of being diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder. METHODS: We used full-population data from the Danish Civil Registration System to establish a cohort of 46 104 refugees resettled in Denmark during 1995-2016. Hazard ratios (HRs) for first-time psychiatric hospital contact (ICD-10) after residence permit issuance across varying lengths of asylum-decision waiting periods were estimated by cross-linkage with the Danish National Patient Register. RESULTS: Long asylum-decision waiting periods were associated with an increased risk of psychiatric disorders. Compared with refugees who waited 0-6 months for their asylum decision, the HRs of any psychiatric diagnosis were 1.22 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12-1.33] for those who waited 13-24 months and 1.46 (95% CI: 1.27-1.69) for those who waited 25-71 months. Associations varied across diagnoses and length of follow-up: whereas the risk of nervous disorders increased with longer asylum-decision waiting periods in the follow-ups of 0-2.9, 3-5.9 and 6-11.9 years, the risk of psychotic disorders was associated with longer asylum-decision procedures only in the 0-2.9-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: Resettled refugees who waited longer than 1 year for an asylum decision face an increased risk of psychiatric disorders. Host countries should consider that long asylum-decision waiting periods could lead to mental illness among refugees.
KW - Asylum
KW - cohort
KW - longitudinal
KW - psychiatric disorders
KW - refugees
KW - waiting
U2 - 10.1093/ije/dyz091
DO - 10.1093/ije/dyz091
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 31106354
AN - SCOPUS:85075661243
VL - 49
SP - 400
EP - 409
JO - International Journal of Epidemiology
JF - International Journal of Epidemiology
SN - 0300-5771
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 244320586