Peer-reviewed article
Potentially traumatic experiences and mental health among asylum-seeking women of reproductive age: The significance of sexual violence and contextual risk factors.
Majlander S, Kinnunen TI, Lilja E, Castaneda AE, Skogberg N et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined mental health outcomes among 278 asylum-seeking women aged 18-50 in Finland, focusing on the impact of traumatic experiences, particularly sexual violence. Women who had experienced sexual violence had significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, and psychological trauma symptoms compared to those who had not. The research identified sexual violence, younger age, lack of children, and being born in the Middle East and North Africa as key risk factors for mental health problems in this population.
Key points
- Women who experienced sexual violence had 6.33 times higher odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms compared to those who had not
- Sexual violence was associated with 4.71 times higher odds of psychological trauma symptoms
- Younger women (18-29 years) had 2.07 times higher odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms
- Other potentially traumatic experiences (non-sexual) were associated with 3.13 times higher odds of psychological trauma symptoms
- Being born in the Middle East and North Africa was associated with 2.42 times higher odds of psychological trauma symptoms
Limitations
The study is cross-sectional and cannot establish causality or determine the temporal relationship between traumatic experiences and mental health outcomes. The data was collected at a single point in time in Finland, which may limit generalisability to asylum-seeking women in other countries or contexts.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Asylum-seeking women are often exposed to potentially traumatic experiences (PTEs), such as various forms of psychological and physical violence. This study examines women’s current mental health by assessing depressive and anxiety symptoms, symptoms indicating psychological trauma, and associated contextual factors. METHODS: This study utilized data from the Asylum Seekers Health and Wellbeing Survey conducted in Finland in 2018. Women aged 18 to 50 years (n = 278) were included in the analysis and grouped by region of birth. PTEs were assessed using questions adapted from the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire. The Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 was used to detect depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, and symptoms indicating psychological trauma were screened using the PROTECT Questionnaire. RESULTS: Women who had experienced sexual violence had significantly higher odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms (OR = 6.33, 95% CI:2.86–14.05) compared to those who had not. Younger age (18–29 years) was also associated with higher odds of depressive and anxiety symptoms (OR = 2.07, 95% CI:1.10–3.89). Sexual violence (OR = 4.71, 95% CI:1.99–11.17), other PTEs (OR = 3.13, 95% CI:1.46–6.73), not having children (OR = 2.22, 95% CI:1.12–4.41) or ≥ 3 births (OR = 3.62, 95% CI:1.43–9.14), multilingualism (OR = 2.37, 95% CI:1.23–4.55), and being born in the Middle East and North Africa (OR = 2.42, 95% CI:1.19–4.95) were associated with symptoms indicating psychological trauma. CONCLUSION: Sexual violence and other traumatic experiences, along with contextual factors, significantly elevate the risk of mental health problems among asylum-seeking women.