Health status of refugees settled in Alberta: changes since arrival

Gendered Health Outcome Among Somali Refugee Youth in Displacement: A Role of Social Support and Religious Belief

This study examines the factors influencing physical health status, specifically focusing on the gender differences in risk and promotive factors affecting health outcomes among Somali refugee youth displaced in Nairobi, Kenya (n = 227). A survey was used to assess participants' physical health along with psychosocial factors, somatic symptoms, and demographic characteristics. The study shows that religious belief and somatic symptoms among the total sample were significant predictors in influencing the outcome of physical health. A moderated mediation analysis and logistic regression analyses also revealed gender differences in associated factors as well as health status; female participants reported higher somatic symptoms, associated with a decline in physical health, whereas the protective effect of social support and religious belief promote was found only among male counterparts. Future studies and interventions would be benefited from a gender-specific approach to health promotion and coping mechanisms in this population.

The relationship between employment and health for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds: A systematic review of quantitative studies

Background

For the general population, the positive effects of paid employment on health and wellbeing are well established. However, less is known for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. This review aims to systematically summarise the quantitative literature on the relationship between employment and health and wellbeing for refugees and asylum seekers.

Method

A search strategy was conducted in online databases, including MEDLINE, PsychINFO, EMCARE, SCOPUS, CINHAL, ProQuest and Web of Science. Articles were screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Studies published in English between 2000 to October 2021 were included if they used quantitative methods to consider the relationship between employment and health for refugees and asylum seekers in resettlement countries. Study quality was assessed using The Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Tools. Findings were synthesised using a narrative approach.

Results

Seventy-two papers were identified. The majority of papers (N = 58, 81%) examined the association between employment and mental health outcomes. Overall, while there were inconsistencies in the findings, employment had a positive effect on mental health particularly in reducing levels of psychological distress and depression. Though more limited in number, the papers examining physical health suggest that people who are employed tend to have better physical health than unemployed persons. There was some evidence to support the bi-directional relationship between employment and health. Poor mental and physical health negatively impacted the odds of employment and occupational status of refugees.

Conclusion

Good quality employment is an essential component of refugee resettlement and this review found that in general employment is also beneficial for refugee health, particularly aspects of mental health. More research regarding the effects of employment on physical health is required. The effects of refugee-specific factors such as gender roles, torture, and trauma on the relationship between employment and health also require further investigation.

The health-related quality of life of Syrian refugee women in their reproductive age

Background

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) for refugee women in reproductive age is highly affected by physical, political, psychosocial and environmental conditions in countries of asylum. HRQoL is enormously affected by the satisfaction of this vulnerable group with the physical, psychological, emotional and social care services provided in this critical time. Therefore, this study aimed toassess the HRQoL among Syrian refugee women of reproductive age living outside camps in Jordan.

Methods

A cross-sectional correlational study was conducted with a convenience sample of 523 Syrian refugee women in the host communities in Jordan.Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) was measured using the short-form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire.

Results

Significant negative correlations were found between SF-36 individual subscales score and the length of marriage, the number of children, parity and family income. The strongest correlations were between pain scale and length of marriage (r =  − .21), and between Energy/Fatigue and ‘number of children’ (r =  − .21). Conversely, antenatal care was positively correlated with physical, role emotional, pain, and general health. Physical functioning and general health were predicted significantly with less years of marriage, younger age at marriage, less violence and by higher family income.

Conclusion

This study suggests low HRQoL scores for women of reproductive age across all domains. Several factors such as years of marriage, age at marriage, the number of children, violence, antenatal care and family income affected the women’s general health. The provision of appropriate and accessible reproductive and maternal healthcare services in antenatal visits is critical for ensuring the immediate and long-term health and wellbeing of refugee women and their families.

The association of migration experiences on the self-rated health status among adult humanitarian refugees to Australia: an analysis of a longitudinal cohort study

BACKGROUND

Refugees are potentially at an increased risk for health problems due to their past and current migration experiences. How migration factors shape refugee health is not well understood. We examined the association between migration factors and the self-rated general health of adult humanitarian refugees living in Australia.

METHODS

We analyzed the first three waves of data from the 'Building A New Life In Australia' longitudinal survey of 2399 humanitarian refugees resettled in Australia. The study outcome was self-rated health measured by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. Predictors were migration process and resettlement factors. We used generalized linear mixed models to investigate the relationship between predictor and outcome variables.

RESULTS

Poor general health persisted among this refugee population at high levels throughout the three-year follow-up. At baseline, 35.7% (95% CI: 33.8-37.7%) of the study population reported poorer general health. Female gender, increasing age and post-migration financial stressors were positively associated with poorer general health. Having a university degree and absence of chronic health conditions were seemingly protective against declining general health (OR: 0.50; 95% CI: 0.65-1.81 and OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.09-1.04, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Our results show that there is persisting high prevalence of poorer general health among adult refugees across the initial years of resettlement in Australia. This finding suggests unmet health needs which may be compounded by the challenges of resettlement in a new society, highlighting the need for increased clinical awareness of this sustained health burden to help inform and prepare refugee health care and settlement service providers.

Access and utilization of mental health services for immigrants and refugees: Perspectives of immigrant service providers

Immigrant and refugee populations experience life stressors due to difficult migration journeys and challenges in leaving one country and adapting to another. These life stressors result in adverse mental health outcomes when coupled with a lack of adequate support-enhancing resources. One area of support is access to and use of mental health services to prevent and address mental health concerns. Immigrant service providers in Canada support the integration and overall well-being of newcomers. This study focuses on immigrant service providers' perceptions of access to and use of mental health services for immigrants and refugees in Alberta. A qualitative descriptive design was used to collect and analyse the perspectives of 53 immigrant service providers recruited from nine immigrant serving agencies in Alberta between November 2016 and January 2017. Data were collected using a combination of individual interviews and focus groups, followed by thematic data analysis to identify relevant themes. Barriers to access and use of mental health services include language barriers, cultural interpretations of mental health, stigma around mental illness, and fear of negative repercussions when living with a mental illness. Strategies to improve mental health service delivery include developing community-based services, attending to financial barriers, training immigrant service providers on mental health, enhancing collaboration across sectors in mental health service delivery, and advancing the role of interpreters and cultural brokers. Overall, immigrant service providers present a nuanced view of the complex and inter-related barriers immigrants and refugees experience and identify potential approaches to enhancing mental health service delivery.

Journey to Health: (Re) Contextualizing the Health of Canada's Refugee Population

Existing literature on refugee health has often focused exclusively on either the post-arrival or pre-arrival experience. We believe the totality of each individual social identity should be acknowledged, including life prior to becoming a refugee. Thus, health status must be contextualized within pre-arrival health status and living conditions, health-care access, flight experiences, combined with post-arrival status: a fluid journey-to-health arc. The following article offers a holistic view of refugee health as an outcome of the entirety of this journey captured in a series of in-depth interviews with long-term, established service providers in Hamilton, Ontario. Our findings illustrate the importance of viewing health issues within the context of time and space. Refugees embark on fragmented journeys, leading to multiple challenges for providers, such as limited case histories, the absence of documentation and cultural (in)competence in terms of practice.

Burmese and Bhutanese refugee utilization of healthcare services in Colorado

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify factors, within a framework for integration, associated with healthcare utilization (primary care use, dental care, and insurance coverage) for Colorado refugees, by gender.

Design/methodology/approach

The Refugee Integration Survey and Evaluation project was a four-year longitudinal study of refugees that resettled in Colorado beginning in 2011. Refugees from Burma and Bhutan were used in this secondary data analysis. Various integration domains were explored as predictors, across gender groups, of the healthcare utilization outcome variables (physical exam in the past 12 months, dental exam in the past 12 months, and current healthcare coverage) using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Findings

In 2015, 73.1 percent of the sample reported accessing primary health care in the past year, and only 13.2 percent used dental care services. Nearly three-quarters reported having health insurance at the time of survey. In the adjusted models, there was a strong positive association between the outcome variable “physical exam” and the predictor variables “employment and economic self-sufficiency” (OR=0.70, p<0.001), “social bonding” (OR=3.73, p<0.001), and “safety and stability” (OR=2.23, p<0.001). Additionally, education and training predicted dental visit (OR=2.06, p<0.01). None of the integration domains were statistically significant predictors of dental visits in the adjusted models.

Originality/value

This study offers insights about facilitators and barriers to healthcare utilization uptake after resettling in a major US city. These findings can be used by agencies and governmental organizations to best tailor healthcare services and promotion of those services for this vulnerable population.

Investigating the diversity of Canada’s refugee population and its health implications: does one size fit all?

Purpose

Based on a case study in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the purpose of this paper is to explore the difficulties faced by local health care providers in the face of constantly evolving refugee policies, programs, and arrivals. In doing so, it illustrates the complications faced by service providers in providing care to refugee arrivals and how the diversity of arrivals challenges health care provision and ultimately the health and well-being of refugees.

Design/methodology/approach

A series of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with key service professionals in both the social service and health fields in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, examined both health and health care issues.

Findings

Beyond challenges for service providers that have been previously flagged in the literature, including language barriers and the limited time that they have with their clients, analysis revealed that health care providers faced other challenges in providing care, with one challenge reflecting the difficulty of providing care and services to a diverse refugee population. A second challenge reflected the lack of knowledge associated with constantly evolving policies and programs. Both challenges potentially limit the abilities of care providers.

Research limitations/implications

On-going changes to refugee and health care policy, along with the diversity of refugee arrivals, will continue to challenge providers. The challenge, therefore, for health care providers and policy makers alike is how to ensure adequate service provision for new arrivals.

Practical implications

The Federal government should do a better job in disseminating the impact of policy changes and should streamline programs. This is particularly relevant given limited budgets and resources, tri-partite government funding, short time-frames to prepare for new arrivals, inadequate background information, barriers/challenges or inequitable criteria for access to health and social services, while addressing an increasingly diverse and complex population.

Social implications

The research reinforces the complexity of the needs and challenges faced by refugees when health is considered, and the difficulty in providing care to this group.

Originality/value

While there is a large refugee health literature, there is relatively little attention to the challenges and difficulties faced by service providers in addressing the health needs of the diverse refugee population, a topic that is particularly important given limited funding envelopes, shifting policies and programs, and a focus on clients (refugees). It is this latter piece – the challenges faced by providers in providing care to refugees – which this paper explores.

Effectiveness of Primary Health Care Services in Addressing Mental Health Needs of Minority Refugee Population in New Zealand

Many people are displaced from their country of origin and become refugees, mostly due to armed conflicts, political violence and human rights abuse. Refugees have complex mental, physical, and social health problems related to their traumatic background and the experiences they have endured during their refugee journey. The aim of this qualitative exploratory study was to examine the effectiveness of primary health care services in addressing mental health needs of Bhutanese refugee women resettled in New Zealand. This study included focus group discussion with Bhutanese women and men followed by interviews with health service providers. The findings of this study highlighted inadequacies and constraints in addressing Bhutanese refugee women's mental health needs in New Zealand and provided evidence for recommendations to address these inadequacies.

A systematic review of studies with a representative sample of refugees and asylum seekers living in the community for participation in mental health research

BACKGROUND

The aim was to review the literature to identify the most effective methods for creating a representative sample of refugee and asylum seeker groups living in the community to participate in health and mental health survey research.

METHODS

A systematic search of academic and grey literature was conducted for relevant literature with 'hidden' groups published between January 1995 and January 2016. The main search used Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and SCOPUS electronic databases. Hidden groups were defined as refugees, asylum seekers, stateless persons or hard/difficult to reach populations. A supplementary grey literature search was conducted. Identified articles were rated according to a created graded system of 'level of evidence for a community representative sample' based on key study factors that indicated possible sources of selection bias. Articles were included if they were assessed as having medium or higher evidence for a representative sample. All full-text papers that met the eligibility criteria were examined in detail and relevant data extracted.

RESULTS

The searches identified a total of 20 publications for inclusion: 16 peer-reviewed publications and four highly relevant reports. Seventeen studies had sampled refugee and asylum seekers and three other hidden groups. The main search identified 12 (60.0%) and the grey search identified another eight (40.0%) articles. All 20 described sampling techniques for accessing hidden groups for participation in health-related research. Key design considerations were: an a priori aim to recruit a representative sample; a reliable sampling frame; recording of response rates; implementation of long recruitment periods; using multiple non-probability sampling methods; and, if possible, including a probability sampling component. Online social networking sites were used by one study. Engagement with the refugee and asylum seeker group was universally endorsed in the literature as necessary and a variety of additional efforts to do this were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

The strategies for increasing the likelihood of a representative sample of this hidden group were identified and will assist researchers when doing future research with refugee groups. These findings encourage more rigorous reporting of future studies so that the representativeness of samples of these groups in research can be more readily assessed.

A qualitative study on African immigrant and refugee families' experiences of accessing primary health care services in Manitoba, Canada: it's not easy!

Background

Immigrant and refugee families form a growing proportion of the Canadian population and experience barriers in accessing primary health care services. The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of access to primary health care by African immigrant and refugee families.

Methods

Eighty-three families originating from 15 African countries took part in multiple open ended interviews in western Canada. Qualitative data was collected in six different languages between 2013 and 2015. Data analysis involved delineating units of meaning from the data, clustering units of meaning to form thematic statements, and extracting themes.

Results

African immigrant and refugee families experienced challenges in their quest to access primary health care that were represented by three themes: Expectations not quite met, facing a new life, and let’s buddy up to improve access. On the theme of expectations not quite met, families struggled to understand and become familiar with a new health system that presented with a number of barriers including lengthy wait times, a shortage of health care providers, high cost of medication and non-basic health care, and less than ideal care. On the theme of facing a new life, immigrant and refugee families talked of the difficulties of getting used to their new and unfamiliar environments and the barriers that impact their access to health care services. They talked of challenges related to transportation, weather, employment, language and cultural differences, and lack of social support in their quest to access health care services. Additionally, families expressed their lack of social support in accessing care. Privately sponsored families and families with children experienced even less social support. Importantly, in the theme of let’s buddy up to improve access, families recommended utilizing networking approaches to engage and improve their access to primary health care services.

Conclusions

African immigrant and refugee families experience barriers to accessing primary health care. To improve access, culturally relevant programs, collaborative networking approaches, and policies that focus on addressing social determinants of health are needed.

Determinants of resource needs and utilization among refugees over time

PURPOSE

This study examined refugees' resource needs and utilization over time, investigated the relationships between pre-displacement/socio-demographic variables and resource needs and utilization, and explored the role of resource needs and utilization on psychiatric symptom trajectories.

METHODS

Iraqi refugees to the United States (N = 298) were assessed upon arrival and at 1-year intervals for 2 years for socio-demographic variables and pre-displacement trauma experiences, their need for and utilization of 14 different resources, and PTSD and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Although refugees reported reduction of some needs over time (e.g., need for cash assistance declined from 99 to 71 %), other needs remained high (e.g., 99 % of refugees reported a need for health care at the 2-year interview). Generally, the lowest needs were reported after 2 years, and the highest utilization occurred during the first year post-arrival. Pre-displacement trauma exposure predicted high health care needs but not high health care utilization. Both high need for and use of health care predicted increasing PTSD and depressive symptoms. Specifically, increased use of psychological care across the three measurement waves predicted more PTSD and depression symptoms at the 2-year interview.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences emerged between need for and actual use of resources, especially for highly trauma-exposed refugees. Resettlement agencies and assistance programs should consider the complex relationships between resource needs, resource utilization, and mental health during the early resettlement period.

Factors associated with self-rated health among North Korean defectors residing in South Korea

BACKGROUND

The number of North Korean refugees entering South Korea has increased recently. The health status of refugees is a significant factor in determining their success in resettlement; therefore, this study examined both the self-rated health status of North Korean defectors who have settled in South Korea and the factors associated with their self-rated health status.

METHODS

This study utilized data gained from face-to-face interviews with 500 North Korean defectors who arrived in South Korea in 2007. The interviews were structured and conducted by 'Yonsei University Research Team for North Korean defectors'. A stepwise multivariable linear regression was performed to determine the factors associated with their self-rated health status.

RESULTS

North Korean defectors who were female, elderly, or had low annual household income, disability or chronic diseases reported lower health status. However, self-rated health status was higher among those who had settled in South Korea for 18 months or more, who were satisfied with government support or their current life, and who had experienced more traumatic events in North Korea.

CONCLUSIONS

Government policies and refugee assistance programs should consider and reflect the factors relevant to the health status of North Korean defectors.

A case-control study of self-reported health, quality-of-life and general functioning among recent immigrants and age- and sex-matched Swedish-born controls

Aim: To examine whether new immigrants had inferior quality-of-life, well-being and general functioning compared with Swedish age- and sex-matched controls. Methods: A prospective case–control study was designed including immigrants from non-European countries, 18–65 years of age, with recent Permanent Permits to Stay (PPS) in Sweden, and age- and sex-matched Swedish-born (SB) persons from the general population in Västmanland County, Sweden. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality-of-Life (WHOQOL-BREF) Scale and the General Activity Functioning Assessment Scale (GAF) from DSM-IV were posted (SB), or applied in personal interviews (PPS) with interpreters. Differences between the PPS and SB groups were measured using McNemar’s test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test conducted separately for observations at baseline, 6- and 12-month follow-up. Results: There were 93 pairs (mean age 36 years). Persons from Somalia (67%) and Iraq (27%) dominated the PPS group. The differences between the groups were statistically significant for all time points for the Psychological health and Social relationship domains of WHOQOL-BREF, and for the baseline and 6-month follow-up time points of GHQ-12 where the PPS-group had a higher degree of well-being, health and quality-of-life than the SB. This tendency applied for both sexes in the immigrant group. Conclusions: These new immigrants did not have inferior physical or psychological health, quality-of-life, well-being or social functioning compared with their age- and sex-matched Swedish born pairs during a 1-year follow-up. Thus, there is reason to advocate immigrants’ fast integration into society.

Single item measures of self-rated mental health: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

A single-item measure of self-rated mental health (SRMH) is being used increasingly in health research and population health surveys. The item asks respondents to rate their mental health on a five-point scale from excellent to poor. This scoping study presents the first known review of the SRMH literature.

METHODS

Electronic databases of Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE and Cochrane Reviews were searched using keywords. The databases were also searched using the titles of surveys known to include the SRMH single item. The search was supplemented by manually searching the bibliographic sections of the included studies. Two independent reviewers coded articles for inclusion or exclusion based on whether articles included SRMH. Each study was coded by theme and data were extracted about study design, sample, variables, and results.

RESULTS

Fifty-seven studies included SRMH. SRMH correlated moderately with the following mental health scales: Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire, mental health subscales of the Short-Form Health Status Survey, Behaviour and Symptom Identification Scale, and World Mental Health Clinical Diagnostic Interview Schedule. However, responses to this item may differ across racial and ethnic groups. Poor SRMH was associated with poor self-rated health, physical health problems, increased health service utilization and less likelihood of being satisfied with mental health services. Poor or fair SRMH was also associated with social determinants of health, such as low socioeconomic position, weak social connections and neighbourhood stressors. Synthesis of this literature provides important information about the relationships SRMH has with other variables.

CONCLUSIONS

SRMH is associated with multi-item measures of mental health, self-rated health, health problems, service utilization, and service satisfaction. Given these relationships and its use in epidemiologic surveys, SRMH should continue to be assessed as a population health measure. More studies need to examine relationships between SRMH and clinical mental illnesses. Longitudinal analyses should look at whether SRMH is predictive of future mental health problems.

Supporting African refugees in Canada: insights from a support intervention

Although evidence suggests the importance of social support for refugees, this knowledge has not been invoked to systematically develop culturally congruent support interventions that help refugees adapt to life in receiving countries. The objective of this study was to design and pilot test a culturally congruent intervention that meets the support needs and preferences of two ethno-culturally distinct refugee groups. Support was delivered to Somali and Sudanese refugees (n = 58), by trained peer and professional facilitators. Face-to-face groups comprised of refugees, matched by gender and ethnicity, were created to enhance the depleted social networks of Somali and Sudanese refugees. Each peer support group met bi-weekly for a face-to-face session for 12 weeks. Peer facilitators delivered supplementary one-to-one support via the telephone. The ingredients of the support intervention included: (i) peer facilitators and professionals; (ii) provision of information, affirmation and emotional support; and (iii) accessibility (e.g. childcare, transportation). The study employed a qualitative participatory research design. Data collected for the study included (i) in-depth pre-intervention interviews with potential support group participants in 2008-2009 to assess intervention preferences; (ii) fieldnotes by peer and professional facilitators during the intervention in 2009-10; (iii) post-intervention group interviews with support group participants in 2010; and (iv) in-depth interviews with peer and professional helpers in 2010. A major perceived benefit of the support programme was connecting with people from African refugee participants' cultural communities. Participants appreciated the gender and culture-specific groups. Following the social support intervention, refugees reported increased social integration, decreased loneliness and expanded coping repertoire.

Comparative study of mental health and quality of life in long-term refugees and host populations in Oru-Ijebu, Southwest Nigeria

Background

Refugees as “People Living in Highly Stressful Situation” are particularly vulnerable to mental ill-health as a result of the trauma experienced pre- and post-migration. The lack of information on the mental health disparities of refugees and non-refugees in West Africa is what this study aimed to bridge.

A cross-sectional study design was employed using a cluster sampling technique. Interviewer-administered structured questionnaires consisting of the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), WHO quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Community Quality of Life (CQoL) were used for data collection. Data were analyzed with SPSS version 17. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of mental health status and QoL.

Results

Respondents consisted of 444(45.7%) refugees and 527(54.3%) non-refugees. Two-thirds 292 (66%) of the refugees were Liberians. Mean age: refugees - 34.8 ± 12.8 years versus non-refugees - 33.3 ± 8.1 years (p < 0.05). While the majority 376(84.7%) of the refugees were married, most 468(88.8%) of the native population were not (p < 0.001). Significantly higher proportion of refugees had polygamous marriages, lived in poorer type of accommodation and had no formal education compared to the non-refugees (p < 0.05). The overall QoL and CQoL scores were both significantly lower for the refugees (p < 0.001). Refugees were three times more likely than non-refugees to have poor mental health [OR: 3.43; 95%CI: 1.83-6.40]. Overall, being currently ill tripled the odds of mental ill health [OR: 2.73; 95%CI: 1.98-3.77]. Unskilled workers [OR: 2.78; 95%CI: 1.68-4.60], skilled workers [OR: 2.98; 95%CI: 2.03-4.38] and the unemployed [OR: 1.94; 95%CI: 1.29-2.92] had two or more times the odds of poor mental health compared to professionals.

Conclusions

QoL and occupational status were the major threats to the mental health of the refugees. Results of this study point to the need for continued attention to not only the healthcare needs but the welfare, housing, employment and overall QoL to support the long-term mental health of refugees and non-refugee populations alike.

Stressors related to immigration and migration background in Turkish patients with psychiatric disorder: validity of a short questionnaire (MIGSTR10)

The validity of a brief 10-item instrument for the assessment of stressors potentially related to migration and migration background (MIGSTR10) was evaluated in a retrospective analysis. To show convergent and discriminant validity, MIGSTR10 scores and general psychosocial stressors derived from DSM-IV axis IV (DSMSTR9) were compared between a randomly selected group of 30 inpatients with Turkish migration background (MIG) and a native German control group (CON), matched for age, gender, and diagnosis. The differential contribution of MIGSTR10 and DSMSTR9 to global functioning (GAF scores) was calculated. Multivariate analysis showed significantly higher distress in MIG compared to CON with regard to MIGSTR10 (λ = 0.33; P < 0.0005) and DSMSTR9 (λ = 0.703; P = 0.030); significant differences of single stressor severities between MIG and CON were found for "communication problems", "migration history", "loss of status", and "homesickness" (adjusted P < 0.01) of the MIGSTR10, but for none of the DSMSTR9 stressors. Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant independent contribution of MIGSTR10, but not of DSMSTR9 sum scores, to GAF scores (R² = 23%, P = 0.011) in the MIG group whereas no significant overlap between stressor severity and GAF scores was found in CON. The results corroborate the validity of the MIGSTR10 to assess migration-related stressors which can affect global functioning and mental health in patients with migration background.