Long-term civil conflict, migration, and the mental health of adults left behind in Thailand: a longitudinal study

Kathleen Ford, Aree Jampaklay, Aphichat Chamratrithirong

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objectives: A long-term civil conflict has been occurring in the southernmost provinces of Thailand, and migration to Malaysia has been accelerated by this conflict. The objective of this work was to examine the influence of perceived effects of the unrest, migration of a household member, and children left behind on the reporting of psychiatric symptoms of working age adults. Methods: A first round of data collection was conducted in 2014 including interviews with a probability sample of 1102 households and individual interviews with 2058 males and females aged 18–59. In 2016, a second round of data collection was conducted. A fixed effects model was used in the analysis. Results: The perceived effect of the unrest on the household was associated with an increased reporting of psychiatric symptoms. Furthermore, the migration of a household member for work and the presence of children left behind were related to an increased reporting of psychiatric symptoms among adults, especially among females. Conclusions: The unrest and its associated migration was related to an increased reporting of psychiatric symptoms among working age adults in the study population.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1193-1201
Number of pages9
JournalInternational Journal of Public Health
Volume64
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2019

Keywords

  • Conflict
  • Mental health
  • Migration
  • Thailand

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Long-term civil conflict, migration, and the mental health of adults left behind in Thailand: a longitudinal study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this