Table 1: Demographic information of Eritrean refugees recruited for the study, at baseline
|
Female (N=12)
|
Male (N=95)
|
Total (N=107)
|
Median Age (IQR*)
|
23 (IQR: 19-28)
|
26 (IQR: 19-32)
|
25 (IQR: 21-29)
|
Marital Status
|
|
|
|
- Single
|
7 (58.3%)
|
66 (69.5%)
|
73 (68.2%)
|
- Married
|
4 (33.3%)
|
29 (30.5%)
|
33 (30.8%)
|
- Divorced
|
1 (8.3%)
|
0 (0%)
|
1 (0.9%)
|
Educational Background
|
- Primary
|
4 (33.3%)
|
40 (42.1%)
|
44 (41.1%)
|
- Secondary
|
5 (41.7%)
|
46 (48.4%)
|
51 (47.7%)
|
- Tertiary
|
3 (25.0%)
|
9 (9.5%)
|
12 (11.2%)
|
Smoking history
|
|
|
|
- Smoker
|
0 (0%)
|
20 (21.1%)
|
20 (18.7%)
|
- Ex-smoker
|
0 (0%)
|
4 (4.2%)
|
4 (3.7%)
|
- Non-smoker
|
12 (100%)
|
71 (74.7%)
|
83 (77.6%)
|
Employment
|
- Temporary
|
1 (8.3%)
|
1 (1.1%)
|
2 (1.9%)
|
- Unemployed
|
11 (91.7%)
|
94 (98.9%)
|
105 (98.1%)
|
IQR*= Interquartile range;
Table 2: Mental health screening results at baseline (N=107)
|
|
|
|
Baseline (N=107)
|
Screening for
|
Tests
|
Cut-off
|
Interpretation
|
Score (N: %)
|
Median (IQR*)
|
|
|
0
|
No risk
|
40
|
37.4
|
NA
|
|
|
1 to 7
|
Low risk
|
48
|
44.9
|
3 (2-5)
|
Alcohol use
|
AUDIT1
|
8 to 15
|
Risk/ hazardous
|
18
|
16.8
|
11 (9-13)
|
|
|
16 to19
|
High risk/ harmful
|
1
|
0.9
|
NA
|
|
|
>20
|
Almost certainly alcohol dependent
|
0
|
0
|
NA
|
Somatic symptoms
|
PHQ-152
|
≥10
|
|
11
|
10.3
|
11 (11-12)
|
Anxiety disorder
|
GAD-73
|
≥10
|
Moderate and above ‡
|
11
|
10.3
|
10 (10-11)
|
Depression
|
PHQ-94
|
≥10
|
|
16
|
15.0
|
11 (11-13)
|
Post-trauma stress disorder
|
PTSD5
|
≥30
|
Symptoms of PTSD
|
52
|
48.6
|
35 (31-39.5)
|
|
|
<65
|
Low resilience
|
6
|
5.6
|
59.5 (56-60)
|
Resilience scale
|
RS-146
|
65 to 80
|
Moderate resilience
|
37
|
34.6
|
76.0 (73-78)
|
|
|
≥81
|
High resilience
|
64
|
59.8
|
88.0 (86-92)
|
AUDIT1= Alcohol use disorders identification test
PHQ-152= Patient health questionnaire-15
GAD3= Generalized anxiety disorder-7
PHQ-94= Patient Health quationnaire-9
PTSD5= Post-traumatic stress disorder
RS-146= Resilience scale-14
IQR*= Interquartile range
‡ = This applies for all three screening tools. The cut-offs for mild, moderate and severe conditions are 5, 10, and 15, respectively
Table 3: Potential factors that may influence the mental health condition and resilience of newly arrived refugees and migrants from Eritrea; conditions reported in one year follow-up (N=48).
Parameters or indicators in follow-up (N=48)
|
Responses
|
N
|
%
|
Factors related to self-sustenance
|
Current status of residence permit (legal status) ‡
|
B
|
12
|
25.0
|
F
|
8
|
16.7
|
N
|
28
|
58.3
|
New residence permit within one year
|
Yes
|
9
|
18.8
|
No
|
39
|
81.3
|
Working, including unpaid work
|
Yes
|
20
|
41.7
|
No
|
28
|
58.3
|
Source of income
|
Social assistance
|
46
|
95.8
|
Partial social assistance
|
2
|
4.2
|
Monthly income: in Swiss Francs (CHF) ¥
|
<500.00
|
26
|
54.2
|
≥500 and <1000
|
21
|
43.8
|
≥1000.00
|
1
|
2.1
|
Factors related to acculturation and settlement in the new host country
|
Current language competency level (German)
|
A1
|
7
|
14.6
|
A2
|
7
|
14.6
|
B1
|
14
|
29.2
|
B2
|
3
|
6.3
|
Access to regular local language classes §
|
Yes
|
28
|
58.3
|
No
|
20
|
41.7
|
Switzerland as a first choice of destination?
|
Yes
|
29
|
60.4
|
No
|
19
|
39.6
|
Other first-choice destination country, if applicable
|
United Kingdom
|
12
|
25.0
|
Netherlands
|
3
|
6.3
|
Norway
|
2
|
4.2
|
Sweden
|
1
|
2.1
|
No idea
|
1
|
2.1
|
Relative/s in Switzerland
|
Yes
|
27
|
56.3
|
No
|
21
|
43.8
|
Interaction with Eritrean community in Switzerland α
|
Yes
|
41
|
85.4
|
No
|
7
|
14.6
|
Community contribution in Switzerland β
|
Yes
|
26
|
54.2
|
No
|
22
|
45.8
|
Factors related to pre-arrival in host country
|
Migration journey duration (from Eritrea to Switzerland): in months
|
≥3 and <9
|
24
|
50.0
|
≥9 and <15
|
10
|
20.8
|
≥15 and <21
|
7
|
14.6
|
≥21 and <27
|
4
|
8.3
|
≥27
|
3
|
6.3
|
Median (IQR)
|
8.5
|
7.0-16.0
|
Duration of stay in Transit countries: in months
Median and Inter Quartile Range (IQR)
|
Ethiopia
|
3
|
1.5-5.0
|
Sudan
|
5
|
2.0-9.0
|
Libya
|
2
|
1.3-3.0
|
Italy
|
0.3
|
0.0
|
Detention or prison experience during transit
|
Yes
|
18
|
37.5
|
No
|
30
|
62.5
|
Imprisonment in transit countries
|
Egypt
|
1
|
2.1
|
Ethiopia
|
4
|
8.3
|
Libya
|
11
|
22.9
|
Sudan
|
2
|
4.2
|
Experienced death of someone along the migration route †
|
Yes
|
28
|
58.3
|
No
|
20
|
41.7
|
‡ = Current legal residence status of refugees and migrants; B à Refugee status granted; F à Temporarily admitted; and N à Asylum application in process.
¥ = Monthly income: in Swiss Francs (CHF), for socially assisted immigrants, solely depends on the asylum status condition.
§ = Similar to other benefits from the social system, access to regular local language courses, with few exceptional cases, is claimed to be affected by the asylum status of refugees
α = Opportunities to have social interactions with compatriot Eritreans, such as social gatherings and hanging out together.
β = Willing to interact with the local population by participating in different activities, such as sports, feasts, and volunteering
† = Could be a family member, relative, friend, or a travel colleague introduced on the journey