Comparison of male and female non-refugee immigrants with psychosis: clinical, sociodemographic, and migration-related differences and impact on stress

Purpose: To compare social, clinical, and migration-related factors between male and female immigrants with psychotic disorders and to determine the association between these variables and stress in the last year. Methods: We administered the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Scale to evaluate psy...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Trabsa, Amira, Casanovas, Francesc, Pérez Solà, Víctor, Moreno Alcázar, Ana, Amann, Benedikt Lorenz, Mané Santacana, Anna
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Repositorio:Repositorio Digital de la UPF
OAI Identifier:oai:repositori.upf.edu:10230/61276
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/61276
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00737-024-01431-7
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Gender differences
Migration mental health
Non-refugee immigrants
Psychological stress
Psychosis
Women
Descripción
Sumario:Purpose: To compare social, clinical, and migration-related factors between male and female immigrants with psychotic disorders and to determine the association between these variables and stress in the last year. Methods: We administered the Holmes and Rahe Social Readjustment Scale to evaluate psychological stress in 99 non-refugee immigrants (26 women, 73 men) who presented ≥ one psychotic episode (ICD-10 criteria). We compared the two groups in terms of sociodemographic, clinical, cultural, and migration-related variables. A multivariable analysis using a linear regression model (stepwise method) was performed to evaluate potential associations between these variables and stress. Results: Women were more likely to be married and divorced, had less access to welfare payments, and lower unemployment and homeless rates than men. The most common psychiatric diagnosis was psychosis not otherwise specified with more women being affected (61.5% in women vs. 45.2% in men), but the diagnosis of schizophrenia was more common in men (38.4% vs 15.4%). Both groups exhibited very high levels of stress in the past year (mean total distress score > 300). In women, stress was significantly associated with age at first migration and be a racialized person. By contrast, among men stress was significantly associated with language barrier and comorbidity with a physical disorder. Conclusions: The results of this study reveal important differences between men and women immigrants. These findings underscore the importance of understanding how gender-specific roles and social expectations intersect with the timing and nature of migration to influence stress levels differently in immigrant women and men with psychotic disorders.