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Frequent mental distress (FMD) in Irish Travellers: Discrimination and bereavement negatively influence mental health in the All Ireland Traveller Health Study.
- Source :
- Transcultural Psychiatry; Aug2013, Vol. 50 Issue 4, p559-578, 20p
- Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- Travellers are an indigenous minority group in Ireland, with poorer life expectancy and health status than the general population. Recent data have shown that Travellers are at increased risk of poor mental health and sequelae from same. We aimed to examine the associations between sociodemographic and lifestyle factors with poor mental health in Irish Travellers. A census survey of all Travellers was undertaken, with 8,492 enumerated families (80% response rate). A random subset of 1,796 adults completed an adult health survey. Traveller peer researchers employed a novel oral-visual computer-aided data collection tool. Frequent mental distress (FMD) was defined as 14 or more days of poor mental health in the preceding 1 month. Prevalence ratios for typical associates of FMD were estimated using a Poisson regression model, adjusted for age and sex. FMD was present in 11.9% of Traveller respondents, and prevalence increased with age. After age and sex adjustment, FMD was more prevalent in those whose quality of life was impaired by physical health, by those who were recently bereaved of a friend or family member, and by those who had greater experiences of discrimination. This study shows that Travellers experience discrimination and bereavement, which negatively influence their mental health. The findings have implications for the mental healthcare needs of indigenous ethnic minorities worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- ALEXITHYMIA
AUTOMATIC data collection systems
BEREAVEMENT
CHI-squared test
DISCRIMINATION (Sociology)
INDIGENOUS peoples
MINORITIES
POISSON distribution
PROBABILITY theory
QUALITY of life
RESEARCH funding
RISK assessment
STATISTICAL sampling
HEALTH equity
DISEASE prevalence
CROSS-sectional method
DESCRIPTIVE statistics
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 13634615
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Transcultural Psychiatry
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 90412922
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461513503016