ArticleBMJ open2021
Chronic pain and mental health problems among Syrian refugees: associations, predictors and use of medication over time: a prospective cohort study.
Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 39 citations in OpenAlex.
- Assessing the health status of migrants upon arrival in Europe: a systematic review of the adverse impact of migration journeys.Globalization and health · 2024Pooled it
- Associations between postmigration living situation and symptoms of common mental disorders in adult refugees in Europe: updating systematic review from 2015 onwards.BMC public health · 2023Pooled it
- Does health early at arrival predict later integration among refugees? A cohort study of Syrians in Norway.International journal for equity in health · 2026Article
- Prevalence and Levels of Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression and Suicidal Ideation Amongst Elite Male Soccer Players: An Age- and Education-Matched Controlled Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Barriers to optimal chronic pain management in refugees: a scoping review.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Article
- Chronic pain and use of painkillers, healthcare services and long-term impairment among Syrian refugees: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Neurological Care of Refugees and Other Forcibly Displaced Persons.Seminars in neurology · 2024Article
- Effects of blast exposure on anxiety and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among displaced Ukrainian populations.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
- Pain as a Symptom of Mental Health Conditions Among Undocumented Migrants in France: Results From a Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of public health · 2024Article
- Including highly educated migrants in academia to improve their health-protocol for a pilot intervention.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- [Aspects of psychosomatics and psychotraumatology in refugees : Challenges for internal medicine].Innere Medizin (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2023Review
- Effect of a self-help group intervention using Teaching Recovery Techniques to improve mental health among Syrian refugees in Norway: a randomized controlled trial.International journal of mental health systems · 2022Article
- Chronic pain, mental health and functional impairment in adult refugees from Syria resettled in Norway: a cross-sectional study.BMC psychiatry · 2022Observational
- Self-rated health and quality of life among Syrian refugees in Ireland - data from a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis study aims to examine associations, predictors and pharmacological treatment of chronic pain and mental health problems among Syrian refugees in a longitudinal perspective.
designProspective cohort study.
settingWe collected survey data among Syrian refugees in Lebanon granted resettlement to Norway (self-administered questionnaires) and at follow-up 1 year after arrival in Norway (structured telephone interviews).
participantsAdult Syrian refugees attending mandatory pretravel courses in Lebanon in 2017-2018 were invited to participate. In total, 353 individuals participated at both time points. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES: We examined the cross-sectional associations between pain, mental health and migration-related exposures at baseline and follow-up and assessed whether associations changed significantly with time. Furthermore, we investigated the longitudinal association between mental health at baseline and pain at follow-up. We also evaluated temporal changes in use of analgesics and psychotropic drugs.
resultsWhile most refugees reported improved health from the transit phase in Lebanon to the early resettlement phase in Norway, a few had persisting and intertwined health problems. Most migration-related stressors were more closely associated with chronic pain and mental health problems after resettlement as compared with the transit phase. In parallel, poor mental health was associated with chronic pain in the follow-up (adjusted risk ratio (ARR) 1.5 (1.0, 2.2)), but not at baseline (ARR 1.1 (0.8, 1.5)). Poor mental health at baseline was a statistically significant predictor of chronic pain at follow-up among those
conclusionsProviders of healthcare services to refugees should be attentive to the adverse effect of postmigration stressors and acknowledge the interrelations between pain and mental health. Possible gaps in pharmacological treatment of pain and mental health problems need further clarification.
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