# A national study of psychiatry outpatient visits by lower-skilled male migrant workers in Qatar

## TL;DR

This study examines the mental health of lower-skilled male migrant workers in Qatar, finding high rates of anxiety and depression linked to stressors like isolation and financial issues.

## Contribution

The study is the first to characterize psychiatric morbidity among lower-skilled migrant workers in Qatar’s outpatient psychiatry clinics.

## Key findings

- Over two-thirds of participants presented with anxiety or depressive disorders.
- Common stressors included limited social support, family separation, and financial issues.
- Two-thirds were non-compliant with treatment, and one-fourth were lost to follow-up.

## Abstract

Arab countries host 10% of all migrants globally. Migrant workers are known to have a high burden of physical and psychiatric morbidity. Most of the published literature on mental health among migrant workers is from non-Arab countries. The limited literature on migrant workers’ mental health in Arab countries is a critical research gap. It is pertinent to study well-defined migrant groups within well-defined host country conditions to yield pragmatic answers to inform service delivery.

The current study aims to complement existing data by characterizing psychiatric morbidity in a well-defined migrant group within a specifically defined context of migration.

Retrospective review of patient notes.

All participants were men, and most of them were aged between 30 and 49 years. More than two-thirds presented with anxiety or depressive disorders. More than half had a past psychiatric history. Psychological distress was linked to stressors such as limited social support, living away from family, financial stressors, family-related stressors, and work-related stress. One-fourth of the participants reported stress related to the pandemic. Half of them reported physical health comorbidities. Two-thirds were not compliant with treatment plans, and one-fourth were lost to follow-up.

This is the first study to provide insight into the psychiatric morbidity of lower-skilled migrants presenting to outpatient psychiatry clinics in Qatar. The psychiatric morbidity of migrants is mainly centered around depressive and anxiety-related disorders. The most common challenges encountered in the management of patients include patient concordance with medication and loss to follow-up. Mitigation strategies are vital for ensuring the psychological well-being of migrant workers.