Marie Norredam

Prevalence of torture survivors among foreign-born patients presenting to an urban ambulatory care practice

AbstractBACKGROUND: The prevalence of torture among foreign-born patients presenting to urban medical clinics is not well documented. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of torture among foreign-born patients presenting to an urban primary care practice. DESIGN: A survey of foreign-born patients. PATIENTS: Foreign-born patients, age ≥ 18, presenting to the Primary Care Clinic at Boston Medical Center. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported history of torture as defined by the UN, and history of prior disclosure of torture. RESULTS: Of the 308 eligible patients, 88 (29%) declined participation, and 78 (25%) were not included owing to lack of a translator. Par ticipants had a mean age of 47 years (range 19 to 76), were mostly female (82/142, 58%), had been in the United States for an average of 14 years (range 1 month to 53 years), and came from 35 countries. Fully, 11% (16/142, 95 percent confidence interval 7% to 18%) of participants reported a history of torture that was consistent with the UN definition of torture. Thirty-nine percent (9/23) of patients reported that their health care provider asked them about torture. While most patients (15/23, 67%) reported discussing their experience of torture with someone in the United States, 8 of 23 (33%) reported that this survey was their first disclosure to anyone in the United States. CONCLUSION: Among foreign-born patients presenting to an urban primary care center, approximately 1 in 9 met the definition established by the UN Convention Against Torture. As survivors of torture may have significant psychological and physical sequelae, these data underscore the necessity for primary care physicians to screen for a torture history among foreign-born patients.

Providing medical care for undocumented migrants in Denmark: what are the challenges for health professionals?

BackgroundThe rights of undocumented migrants are frequently overlooked. Denmark has ratified several international conventions recognizing the right to health care for all human beings, but has very scanty legislation and no existing policies for providing health care to undocumented migrants. This study focuses on how health professionals navigate and how they experience providing treatment for undocumented migrants in the Danish health care system.MethodsThe study was carried out as part of an EU-project on European Best Practices in Access, Quality and Appropriateness of Health Services for Immigrants in Europe (EUGATE). This presentation is based on 12 semi-structured interviews with general practitioners (9) and emergency room physicians (3) in Denmark.ResultsThe emergency room physicians express that treatment of undocumented migrants is no different from the treatment of any other person. However, care may become more complicated due to lack of previous medical records and contact persons. Contrary to this, general practitioners explain that undocumented migrants will encounter formal barriers when trying to obtain treatment. Additional problems in the treatment of undocumented migrants include language issues, financial aspects for general practitioners, concerns about how to handle the situation including possibilities of further referrals, and an uncertainty as to whether to involve the police.ConclusionsThe health professionals in our study describe that undocumented migrants experience an unequal access to primary care facilities and that great uncertainties exist amongst health professionals as how to respond in such situations. The lack of official policies concerning the right to health care for undocumented migrants continue to pass on the responsibility to health professionals and, thereby, leaves it up to the individual to decide whether treatment can be obtained or not.

Excess use of coercive measures in psychiatry among migrants compared with native Danes

Norredam M, Garcia‐Lopez A, Keiding N, Krasnik A. Excess use of coercive measures in psychiatry among migrants compared with native Danes.

Age assessment of young asylum seekers

During 2009, 15 100 unaccompanied children sought asylum in Europe. Many of them came from ‘failed states’ like Somalia and Afghanistan where official documents with exact birth dates are rarely issued. This has led to requests to health care professionals in many countries to assist migration authorities in determining whether a young asylum seeker is a child or an adult. Many different methods are currently employed in Europe for this purpose by dentists, paediatricians, radiographers and social workers, but no currently available method has been demonstrated to have the accuracy needed to be of real use in this decision. Unclear guidelines and arbitrary practices may lead to alarming shortcomings in the protection of this high‐risk group of children and adolescents in Europe. Medical participation, as well as non‐participation, in these dubious decisions raises a number of ethical questions.

Inequalities in mortality among refugees and immigrants compared to native Danes – a historical prospective cohort study

BackgroundComparisons of mortality patterns between different migrant groups, and between migrants and natives, are relevant to understanding, and ultimately reducing, inequalities in health. To date, European studies on migrants’ mortality patterns are scarce and are based solely on country of birth, rather than migrant status. However, mortality patterns may be affected by implications in relation to migrant status, such as health hazards related to life circumstances before and during migration, and factors related to ethnic origin. Consequently, we investigated differences in both all-cause and cause-specific mortality from cancer and cardiovascular disease among refugees and immigrants, compared with the mortality among native Danes.MethodsA register-based, historical prospective cohort design. All refugees (n = 29,139) and family-reunited immigrants (n = 27,134) who, between 1 January1993 and 31 December1999, were granted right of residence in Denmark were included and matched 1:4 on age and sex with native Danes. To identify deaths, civil registration numbers were cross-linked to the Register of Causes of Death (01.01.1994–31.12.2007) and the Danish Civil Registration System (01.01.1994–31.12.2008). Mortality rate ratios were estimated separately for men and women by migrant status and region of birth, adjusting for age and income and using a Cox regression model, after a median follow-up of 10–13 years after arrival.ResultsCompared with native Danes, all-cause mortality was significantly lower among female (RR = 0.78; 95%CI: 0.71;0.85) and male (RR = 0.64; 95%CI: 0.59-0.69;) refugees. The rates were also significantly lower for immigrants: women (RR = 0.44; 95%CI: 0.38;0.51) and men (RR = 0.43; 95%CI: 0.37;0.51). Both migrant groups also had lower cause-specific mortality from cancer and cardiovascular diseases. For both all-cause and cause-specific mortality, immigrants generally had lower mortality than refugees, and differences were observed according to ethnic origin.ConclusionsMortality patterns were overall advantageous for refugees and immigrants compared with native Danes. Research should concentrate on disentangling the reasons behind migrants’ health advantages, in order to enlighten future preventive public-health efforts, for the benefit of the entire population.

Register-based studies on migration, ethnicity, and health

Introduction: Researchers in Denmark have unique possibilities of register-based research in relation to migration, ethnicity, and health. This review article outlines how these opportunities have been used, so far, by presenting a series of examples. Research topics: We selected six registers to highlight the process of how migrant study populations have been established and studied in relation to different registers: The Danish Cancer Registry, the Danish Central Psychiatric Research Register, the Danish National Patient Register, the Danish National Health Service Register, the Danish Injury Register, and the Danish Medical Birth Register. Conclusion: Our paper documents the unique opportunities to study migration, ethnicity, and health through Danish national registers. Our examples show that in Denmark ‘‘country of birth’’ is the most commonly used measure. It renders information on whether the person is an immigrant or not, and on ethnic background. Data on migration background (i.e. refugee status vs. family reunification, etc.) is more difficult to obtain and therefore less used. It has been debated if ethnicity should be registered upon using health services; however, some consider it discriminatory. Although, we do not register ethnicity in relation to use of health care in Denmark, our possibilities of linkage between population registers and registers on diseases and healthcare utilisation appear to render the same potentials.

Effect of social class on tumour size at diagnosis and surgical treatment in Danish women with breast cancer

This study examines the effect of socio-economic inequalities on the tumour size at diagnosis and the choice of surgical treatment in Danish women with breast cancer. The Danish Breast Cancer Cooperative Group (DBCG) registers all women with breast cancer in Denmark and provides clinical register data on tumour size and surgical treatment for 1594 women <75 yr diagnosed with breast cancer between 1991 and 1996. A questionnaire including questions on social class was sent to the women. The tumour size at diagnosis (an indicator of access to treatment) and the surgical procedure (lumpectomy or mastectomy) for patients who were potential candidates for lumpectomy were the main outcome measures examined. Social class was not associated with tumour size at diagnosis. The tumour size was associated with age and the existence of a mammographic screening program in the county. However, treatment was strongly related to social class. Among women considered candidates for lumpectomy 77% underwent lumpectomy in the highest social class, compared to 50% in the lowest social class. Treatment was associated with age, tumour size and hospital status. It was concluded that the study showed no socio-economic inequalities related to access to health services as measured by tumour size, though significant social differences were found regarding treatment.

How do general practitioners experience providing care to refugees with mental health problems? A qualitative study from Denmark

BackgroundRefugees are a particularly vulnerable group in relation to the development of mental illness and many may have been subjected to torture or other traumatic experiences. General practitioners are gatekeepers for access to several parts of the psychiatric system and knowledge of their patients’ refugee background is crucial to secure adequate care. The aim of this study is to investigate how general practitioners experience providing care to refugees with mental health problems.MethodsThe study was conducted as part of an EU project on European Best Practices in Access, Quality and Appropriateness of Health Services for Immigrants in Europe (EUGATE). Semi-structured interviews were carried out with nine general practitioners in the vicinity of Copenhagen purposively selected from areas with a high proportion of immigrants. The analysis of the interviews is inspired by qualitative content analysis.ResultsOne of the main themes identified in the analysis is communication. This includes the use of professional interpreters and that communication entails more than sharing a common language. Quality of care is another theme that emerges and includes awareness of possible trauma history, limited possibilities for refugees to participate in certain treatments due to language barriers and feelings of hopelessness in the general practitioners. The general practitioners may also choose different referral pathways for refugees and they report that their patients lack understanding regarding the differences between psychological problems and physical symptoms.ConclusionGeneral practitioners experience that providing care to refugees differs from providing care for patients from the majority population. The different strategies employed by the general practitioners in the health care treatment of refugees may be the result of the great diversity in the organisation of general practice in Denmark and the lack of a national strategy in the health care management of refugees. The findings from this study suggest that the development of conversational models for general practitioners including points to be aware of in the treatment of refugee patients may serve as a support in the management of refugee patients in primary care.

Psychotic symptoms in refugees diagnosed with PTSD: A series of case reports

Background: In our clinical work, we treat refugees who have been exposed to trauma and who subsequently develop psychotic symptoms. However, the literature does not address the relationship between refugees with depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychotic symptoms. Therefore the aim of this study is firstly to present a series of cases showing how psychotic symptoms may present in refugees diagnosed with PTSD, and secondly to discuss the underlying explanations of the involved psychopathology. Methods: The study is based on a presentation of a series of cases. All six cases were selected as they fulfilled the following criteria for inclusion: 1) had a refugee background, 2) fulfilled the PTSD (F43.1) diagnosis upon treatment start and 3) revealed psychotic symptoms during treatment. All six were outpatients at the Psychiatric Trauma Clinic for Refugees at Psychiatric Centre Gentofte in Copenhagen during 2009. Results: Our cases were all characterized by having severe symptoms of depression and PTSD. Before treatment start they had a score on the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire between 2.9 and 3.8 (cut-off: 2.5), and a score on the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 between 2.8 and 3.6 (cut-off: 1.8). Additionally, all cases suffered from varying degrees of positive psychotic symptoms, including auditory hallucinations, olfactory and visual hallucinations, as well as persecutory delusions and delusions of reference. Conclusion: In conclusion, research is needed into the prevalence of psychotic symptoms among refugees with depression and PTSD, including the qualitative dimensions of the symptoms in order to optimize diagnosis and treatment among this group of psychiatric patients.

Coronary heart disease incidence among non-Western immigrants compared to Danish-born people: effect of country of birth, migrant status, and income.

Background Increasing global migration has made immigrants’ health an important topic worldwide. We examined the effect of country of birth, migrant status (refugee/family-reunified) and income on coronary heart disease (CHD) incidence. Design This was a historical prospective register-based cohort study. Methods The study cohort consisted of immigrants above 18 years from non-Western countries who had obtained a residence permit in Denmark as a refugee (n = 29,045) or as a family-reunified immigrant (n = 28,435) from 1 January 1993–31 December 1999 and a Danish-born reference population (n = 229,918). First-time CHD incidence was identified from 1 January 1993–31 December 2007. Incidence ratios for 11 immigrant groups were estimated using Cox regression analysis. Results Immigrants from Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkey, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, South Asia, the Former Yugoslavia, and the Middle East and North Africa had significantly higher incidences of CHD (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.36; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.05–1.75 to HR = 2.86; 95% CI: 2.01–4.08) compared with Danish-born people. Immigrants from Somalia, South and Middle America, Sub-Saharan Africa and women from East Asia and the Pacific did not differ significantly from Danish-born people, whereas immigrant men from East Asia and the Pacific had a significantly lower incidence (HR = 0.32; 95% CI: 0.17–0.62). When also including migrant status, the higher incidences were reduced. Refugee men (HR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.11–1.65) and women (HR = 1.33; 95% CI: 1.08–1.65) had a significantly higher incidence of CHD than family-reunified immigrants. When migrant status and income were included simultaneously, the incidences decreased to an insignificant level for most immigrant groups. Conclusions Most non-Western immigrant groups had a higher incidence of CHD than Danish-born people. The study revealed that migrant status and income are important underlying mechanisms of the effect of country of birth on CHD.