Journal of Migration and Health最新文献

{"title":"Understanding stress through metabolomic and psychosocial lenses: Pathways to biomarker discovery","authors":"Fatin Atrooz,&nbsp;Ruba A. Zenati,&nbsp;Mohammad H. Semreen,&nbsp;Karem H. Alzoubi,&nbsp;Hamza M. Al-Hroub,&nbsp;Yasser Bustanji,&nbsp;Omar F Khabour,&nbsp;Sally Aljararwah,&nbsp;Samina Salim","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100442","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100442","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Identifying reliable biomarkers of trauma-related psychological stress is critical for accurate diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Metabolomic profiling offers a promising approach to uncover biochemical correlates of stress. This study investigated salivary metabolomic signatures of traumatic stress in Syrian refugee women resettled in Jordan, with Jordanian women serving as a comparison group. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess mental distress among Syrian refugee (n = 48) and Jordanian women (n = 52) living in northern Jordan. Saliva samples were collected and processed from all participants, of which 25 (11 Syrian refugee and 14 Jordanian women) yielded sufficiently detectable metabolomic profiles and were included in the exploratory metabolomic analysis. Psychometric assessments included validated measures of perceived stress and mental distress. Saliva samples were analyzed using global quantitative metabolomics via high-resolution TIMS-TOF mass spectrometry to identify metabolites associated with stress. While Syrian refugee women reported higher perceived stress compared with Jordanian women (mean ± SD: 30.72 ± 9.2 vs. 27.19 ± 7.7; p = 0.040), both Jordanian and Syrian women exhibited high scores in Self Reporting Questionnaire (mean score ± SD: Syrian refugees = 11.59 ± 4.5, Jordanian women = 10.60 ± 4.7; p = 0.285). Syrian refugee women exhibited elevated salivary metabolites linked to oxido-inflammatory and stress-response pathways including purine metabolism, glutathione metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism, and plasmalogen synthesis. Our findings point to salivary metabolites involved in oxido-inflammatory cascades as potential biomarkers of psychological stress, which in the future may provide objective, noninvasive indicators of stress, complementing psychometric assessments and offering new avenues for evaluating mental health risk in vulnerable populations such as refugees. Findings should be interpreted as associations rather than evidence of causality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100442"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149050909","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Generational changes in self-reported infertility among migrants in Australia","authors":"Jasmin Passet-Wittig ,&nbsp;Ester Lazzari ,&nbsp;Nadja Milewski","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2025.100385","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2025.100385","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Knowledge about the perinatal and reproductive health of international migrants remains limited due to their marginalization in health and social-epidemiological research. We address this gap by analysing the prevalence of self-reported infertility among three migrant generations, migrants from different regions of origin, and comparing it to the majority of third-generation plus in Australia. We examine whether infertility risk differs across these groups and to what extent socio-demographic characteristics account for observed differences. The analysis draws on pooled data from the 2011, 2015, and 2019 waves of the Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, the waves in which self-reported infertility was assessed. Average prevalence of current infertility is 11.8% among women and 7.5% among men. Multivariable findings from this study align with the healthy migrant hypothesis, which suggests that migrants tend to have a health advantage over the majority population at destination which is driven by selection into migration. Australia’s immigration policy contributes to such selection effects as it favours immigration of skilled and healthy individuals, who likely have a lower risk of infertility. The health advantage of the migrant generations 1 and 1.5 occurs for all origin groups except for migrants from English-speaking countries. This advantage diminishes for the second generation. In light of the high levels of self-reported infertility in this study, results suggest that Australia’s reproductive health policies need to address the specific needs of Australia’s increasingly diverse population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100385"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939290","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Work-active ageing or healthy worker selection? Late-life employment and happiness among older migrants in Europe","authors":"Lawrence E. Ugwu ,&nbsp;Uzoamaka F. Ugwoke ,&nbsp;Botho Nanvula Ramonkga ,&nbsp;Anthony Ejike Okonkwo ,&nbsp;Kedibone J. Ramadie","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Policies promoting work-active ageing assume that extending working lives improves later-life well-being. Among migrants, late-life employment is shaped by migration-related selection and labour-market stratification, which may inflate associations with work well-being. We test whether an apparent work-active immigrant paradox (older migrants appearing both more likely to remain in paid work and more likely to report higher happiness) reflects benefits of work or selection into employment and residence.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analysed cross-sectional data from the European Social Survey Round 11 (2023/24), including 12,989 adults aged ≥65 years (847 foreign-born; 12,142 native-born). Paid work was defined as respondents’ main activity in the last 7 days; happiness was measured on a 0–10 scale. We estimated naïve linear regression models and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) models to balance workers and non-workers with respect to pre-exposure demographic, socioeconomic, and health indicators (age, gender, education, partnership status, financial strain, self-rated health, and health limitations/conditions). Extreme weights were trimmed at the 99th percentile, and post-weight balance was assessed using standardised mean differences and a Love plot. We also tested effect modification by migration status using an interaction term (Paid work and migrant status) and ran a migrant-only sensitivity analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Older migrants were more likely than native-born respondents to report paid work (11.0 % vs. 6.6 %) and reported higher mean happiness (7.54 vs. 7.18). In naïve models, paid work was associated with higher happiness (β = 0.33, 95 % CI 0.21–0.45). After IPTW adjustment, the work–happiness association attenuated to a small, non-significant estimate (β = 0.06, 95 % CI: −0.09–0.22). The migrant advantage in happiness persisted in IPTW models (β = 0.45, 95 % CI 0.21–0.69).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>In later life, the apparent well-being benefits of paid work largely reflect selection on measured health and demographic factors, consistent with healthy-worker selection. The migrant happiness advantage is not explained by employment participation. Population health strategies should prioritise health protection and the quality and voluntariness of later-life work, alongside broader supports for inclusion and security.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100410"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147709795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fragile gains: The impact of refugees and other permit immigrants on national life expectancy in Sweden before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic","authors":"Daniela Foresta,&nbsp;Matthew Wallace,&nbsp;Eleonora Mussino","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100426","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100426","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>International migrants are increasingly shaping the population health of high-income countries, yet existing research has treated immigrants as a single, homogenous group when estimating their impact on national life expectancy. Moreover, European research has only studied the impact of immigrants up until 2019—before the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Swedish total population administrative register data from 2010 to 2023, we calculate period life expectancy at age 1 for immigrant subpopulations defined by permit status (refugee; other permit) and for permit status by region of birth (Nordic, Other European, and non-European), applying the Arriaga decomposition to estimate each subgroup's contribution to national life expectancy. From 2010 to 2019, refugees were the primary driver of the positive impact of immigrants on Sweden’s national life expectancy, exhibiting consistently higher life expectancy than both non-migrants and immigrants with other permits. In 2020, COVID-19 struck refugees disproportionately hard. They exhibited life expectancy losses up to four times higher than non-migrants and other permit migrants, and their positive effect on life expectancy was temporarily reversed. The reversal was most pronounced among non-European refugees. Life expectancy recovery among refugees was achieved by 2023 but lagged 2-years behind non-migrants and other permit migrants. Demographic and public health research should routinely disaggregate immigrant populations accordingly. COVID-19 showed that the positive contribution of refugees is fragile. Targeted policies are required to protect refugee populations, particularly during periods of national crisis, if the positive and growing contribution of immigrants to Sweden’s life expectancy is going to be sustained.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100426"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13396939/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148585317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medical diversity of migrants’ physical and mental health understandings","authors":"Kevin Becker,&nbsp;Frauke Kraas,&nbsp;Jonas Birke,&nbsp;Carsten Butsch","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100438","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100438","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Health understandings of migrants, immigrants and persons with a migration background (in short: 'im/migrants') often diverge from the biomedical paradigm dominant in many host societies. Shaped by culturally diverse backgrounds, these understandings influence im/migrants’ health practices and utilisation of formal healthcare services.</div><div>This study aims to explore the health understandings of im/migrants residing in two socio-culturally diverse urban neighbourhoods: Bonn-Tannenbusch and Cologne-Mülheim, Germany. Employing a practice-theory approach (Schatzki 1996, 2002), a cross-sectional survey was conducted using a standardised online questionnaire. The instrument was developed based on earlier qualitative research findings. In total, 179 im/migrants and 172 respondents without an im/migration background participated in this study.</div><div>Based on the collected data, two typologies of practice-shaping understandings of physical and mental health were developed. Several types of understandings were identified, each comprising varying combinations of explanatory concepts, which can be grouped into three broad categories: biomedical, alternative medical, and supernatural. A more detailed analysis was conducted on the identified types using descriptive statistics. This analysis showcases how health understandings differ from each other and how, in some cases, they share certain similarities.</div><div>The findings underline that medical diversity, characterised as the coexistence and sometimes blending of ontologically diverse understandings and practices, is not marginal, but rather a pervasive feature of im/migrants’ health understandings and practices in the two study sites. This article contributes to the knowledge on the diversity of health understandings in diverse neighbourhoods, and provides insight into the factors that influence the adoption or rejection of specific health practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100438"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148843084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assets and health across the lifecourse: a framework for supporting migrant populations","authors":"Catherine K. Ettman,&nbsp;Isabel T. Galea,&nbsp;Salma M. Abdalla","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100445","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100445","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Migration is a defining feature of the 21st century. With &gt;304 million people having left their country of birth and the number growing daily, understanding the needs of migrant populations will be a primary global concern in coming decades. We propose a framework for understanding the health needs of migrant populations across life stages that builds on asset-building and lifecourse perspectives. We highlight examples from the literature for three types of assets (financial, physical, and social) and across three life stages (childhood and adolescence, adulthood, and older age). This framework can inform policy responses to address the needs of migrant populations and support the conditions for them to flourish.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"14 ","pages":"Article 100445"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149199162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Participation behaviour of different migrant groups in breast cancer screening – palpation of the breast and mammography. Results from the German national cohort (NAKO)","authors":"Heiko Becher ,&nbsp;Nadia Obi ,&nbsp;Tilman Brand ,&nbsp;Hermann Brenner ,&nbsp;Laura Buschmann ,&nbsp;Renée T. Fortner ,&nbsp;Karin Halina Greiser ,&nbsp;Volker Harth ,&nbsp;Wolfgang Hoffmann ,&nbsp;André Karch ,&nbsp;Thomas Keil ,&nbsp;Alexander Kluttig ,&nbsp;Lilian Krist ,&nbsp;Michael Leitzmann ,&nbsp;Andy Maun ,&nbsp;Rafael Mikolajczyk ,&nbsp;Katharina Nimptsch ,&nbsp;Tobias Pischon ,&nbsp;Sabine Schipf ,&nbsp;Börge Schmidt ,&nbsp;Christian Wiessner","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>For early detection of breast cancer, clinical palpation of the breast is offered yearly to all women aged 30 and older, and the German Mammography Screening Programme (MSP) offers biennial mammograms to all women aged 50 to 75 years. We investigated the utilization of both screening methods across various migrant groups in Germany, as well as the effect of German language proficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Cross-sectional data on participation frequencies from the baseline examination (2014 to 2019) of more than 100,000 women of the German National Cohort study (NAKO) were analysed by migrant status. Adjusted logistic regression analyses were conducted for palpation and MSP to compare screening uptake among six migrant groups, and non-migrant population.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Palpation of the breast was less frequently utilized in all migrant groups with odds ratios ranging from 0.5 (95% CI 0.4–0.6) for Turkish women to 0.9 for women from western countries (95% CI 0.7–1.1) compared to autochthone Germans. Lower German language proficiency further decreases its use. In contrast, odds ratios for MSP participation did not differ substantially compared to Germans ranging from 0.8 to 1.2. German language proficiency had little effect on MSP participation.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>In contrast to earlier studies, our findings suggest that MSP participation and motivation does not significantly differ by migration status or language skills. This may indicate that information on MSP is broadly accessible through established invitation procedures in Germany. However, lower uptake of breast palpation by a physician in some migrant populations highlights potential gaps in broader preventive care engagement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100397"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145977269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emergency Department utilization in Switzerland: Comparing Swiss natives with first- and second-generation immigrants","authors":"Ludovica Alesci ,&nbsp;Igor Francetic","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2025.100388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2025.100388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction:</h3><div>Differences in Emergency Department (ED) utilization between immigrant and native populations may reflect inequalities in health status and access to care. This study compares ED use between Swiss natives and first- and second-generation immigrants in Switzerland.</div></div><div><h3>Methods:</h3><div>We used pooled data from the Swiss Health Survey 2017 and 2022 (N = 16,183). Logistic regression models were estimated and reported as average marginal effects (AMEs). Models were progressively adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, health status, health behaviors, and healthcare-use variables.</div></div><div><h3>Results:</h3><div>In unadjusted models, first-generation immigrants showed a higher probability of ED use (AME = 0.025, SE = 0.004, <span><math><mrow><mi>p</mi><mo>&lt;</mo><mn>0</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>001</mn></mrow></math></span>; 95% CI: 0.017–0.033), but this association disappeared after adjusting for health status (AME = 0.007, SE = 0.006, p = 0.25). For second-generation immigrants, the association remained significant after adjustments (Main model: AME = 0.030, SE = 0.010, p = 0.01; 95% CI: 0.011–0.049) and slightly attenuated when accounting for healthcare-use patterns (AME = 0.022, SE = 0.011, p = 0.06; 95% CI: 0.000–0.042). An alternative analysis based on Oaxaca–Blinder decompositions confirmed that differences between Swiss natives and first-generation immigrants are mainly explained by health status, whereas differences with second-generation immigrants remain largely unexplained.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions:</h3><div>First-generation immigrants do not differ from Swiss natives in ED use once differences in health status are taken into account. Second-generation immigrants (particularly women and individuals from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe) exhibit a persistently higher probability of ED use, partly explained by higher engagement with other healthcare services. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve equitable access and continuity of care among immigrant populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100388"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145939289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Challenges in cochlear implant care for patients with migration backgrounds: Evaluating (Hr)QoL","authors":"Susann Thyson ,&nbsp;Kai G. Kahl ,&nbsp;Maika Werminghaus ,&nbsp;Thomas Klenzner","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100396","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100396","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aims to assess and compare the quality of life (QoL) and health-related quality of life (HrQoL) of patients with cochlear implants (PwCI) and with or without a migration background (MB). It examines whether language proficiency and length of residence influence QoL and HrQoL outcomes in PwCI with a MB.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data from <em>n</em> = 82 PwCI were collected. QoL and HrQoL were measured using WHOQOL-BREF and Nijmegen Cochlear Implant Questionnaire (NCIQ), while CEFR assessed language proficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PwCI with a MB had significantly lower WHOQOL-BREF global scores (Mdn = 62.50 / IQR = 25.00) than PmCI without a MB (Mdn = 75.00 / IQR = 25.00; <em>U</em> = 548.000, <em>Z</em> = -2.779, <em>p</em> = .005, <em>r</em> = 0.309). Similarly, NCIQ total scores were lower in PwCI with a MB (Mdn = 59.34, IQR = 21.53) than in controls (Mdn = 64.17, IQR = 19.98; <em>U</em> = 623.000, <em>Z</em> = –2.017, <em>p</em> = .044, <em>r</em> = 0.222). The language proficiency of PwCI with a MB in their second language, German, showed no correlation with the global score of the WHOQOL-BREF (Spearman's ρ = 0.240, <em>p</em> = .130). The language proficiency in German as a second language of PwCI with a MB shows a strong correlation with the total score on the NCIQ (Spearman's ρ = 0.428, <em>p</em> = .005), while length of residence showed no significant correlations.</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>PwCI with a MB tended to have lower QoL and HrQoL, potentially due to factors such as language barriers, and limited healthcare access. Language proficiency appeared to play a role, while length of residence showed no clear effect. Addressing linguistic and cultural barriers, could help improve healthcare access. Enhancing communication and support may facilitate greater participation in rehabilitation and treatment adherence, potentially leading to better QoL and more efficient use of healthcare resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100396"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146038033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mental health as a non-communicable disease among refugees, asylum seekers, and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection: A scoping review","authors":"Ana Pinto de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Regina Loesch ,&nbsp;Cláudia Conceição ,&nbsp;Inês Fronteira","doi":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jmh.2026.100404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The number of forcibly displaced people has reached unprecedented levels, exposing refugees, asylum seekers, and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection to cumulative adversities that severely affect health. Non-communicable diseases - particularly mental health conditions - represent a growing yet inadequately addressed component of this burden, with mental health remaining poorly integrated into non-communicable disease care frameworks. Within the NCD framework, mental disorders are increasingly recognized as chronic, disabling conditions with profound social and economic consequences.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This scoping review mapped and synthesized evidence on mental health outcomes and associated risk factors among forcibly displaced adults in host countries. It also examined how mental health has been conceptualized and integrated within the broader non-communicable disease framework.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a scoping review in accordance with established methodological frameworks and reported it in accordance with the PRISMA-Scoping Review guidelines. Six databases were searched for studies published between 2000 and 2020. Eligible studies included observational, qualitative, mixed-methods, and review articles addressing mental health outcomes or associated risk factors among forcibly displaced adults in host countries. Data was extracted using a standardized tool and synthesized narratively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Of 4,341 records identified, 231 met the inclusion criteria, and 82 reported mental health outcomes. Depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder were most common, with prevalence consistently higher than in host populations. Pre-migration trauma - such as war exposure and torture - and post-migration stressors, including unemployment, discrimination, social isolation, language barriers, and legal insecurity, significantly worsened mental health. Women and older adults were particularly vulnerable. Barriers to access, cultural incongruence, and limited-service availability were recurring challenges. However, substantial heterogeneity in study design, sampling strategies, and assessment instruments limited direct comparability across contexts.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Mental health disorders among forcibly displaced populations constitute a critical yet often overlooked aspect of the global non-communicable diseases burden. Addressing them requires integrated, culturally competent, trauma-informed care and supportive social and legal measures to improve equity and inclusion. Policy responses must therefore extend beyond clinical care to address structural determinants, including legal status, employment, housing, and social integration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34448,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Migration and Health","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100404"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147538824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}