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Risk factors for mental disorders in women survivors of human trafficking: a historical cohort study
- Source :
- BMC Psychiatry
- Publication Year :
- 2013
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2013.
-
Abstract
- Background Previous studies have found high levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder among women survivors of human trafficking. No previous research has described risk factors for diagnosed mental disorders in this population. Methods A historical cohort study of women survivors of trafficked women aged 18 and over who returned to Moldova and registered for assistance with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Women were approached by IOM social workers and, if they gave informed consented to participate in the study, interviewed by the research team. At 2–12 months post-return to Moldova, a psychiatrist assessed DSM-IV mental disorders blind to information about women’s pre-trafficking and post-trafficking experiences using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID). A backwards stepwise selection procedure was used to create a multivariable regression model of risk factors for DSM-IV mental disorder measured at an average of 6 months post-return. Results 120/176 (68%) eligible women participated. At an average of 6 months post-return, 54% met criteria for any DSM-IV mental disorder: 35.8% of women had PTSD (alone or co-morbid), 12.5% had depression without PTSD and 5.8% had another anxiety disorder. Multivariable regression analysis found that childhood sexual abuse (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR] 4.68, 95% CI 1.04-20.92), increased number of post-trafficking unmet needs (AOR 1.80; 95% CI 1.28-2.52) and post-trafficking social support (AOR 0.64; 95% CI 0.52-0.79) were independent risk factors for mental disorder, and that duration of trafficking showed a borderline association with mental disorder (AOR 1.12, 95% CI 0.98-1.29). Conclusions Assessment for mental disorders should be part of re-integration follow-up care for women survivors of human trafficking. Mental disorders at that time, most commonly PTSD and depression, are likely to be influenced by a range of predisposing, precipitating and maintaining factors. Care plans for survivors of trafficking must be based on individual needs, and must apply clinical guidelines for the treatment of PTSD and of depression. Evidence is needed on the effectiveness of therapy for PTSD in survivors of human trafficking.
- Subjects :
- Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Adolescent
Population
Violence
Trauma
Cohort Studies
03 medical and health sciences
Social support
0302 clinical medicine
Prevalence of mental disorders
5. Gender equality
Risk Factors
medicine
Humans
Survivors
030212 general & internal medicine
Women’s mental health
10. No inequality
education
Psychiatry
Depression (differential diagnoses)
Depressive Disorder
education.field_of_study
Depression
business.industry
Adult Survivors of Child Abuse
Mental Disorders
Sex Offenses
PTSD
Moldova
16. Peace & justice
medicine.disease
Sex Work
3. Good health
030227 psychiatry
Psychiatry and Mental health
Sexual abuse
Women's Health
Human trafficking
Anxiety
Female
medicine.symptom
business
Anxiety disorder
Research Article
Clinical psychology
Cohort study
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 1471244X
- Volume :
- 13
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- BMC Psychiatry
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....287713abd3200ec8c100b1a99bf4b829