Mood and Anxiety Disorders, Measurement, and Migrant Groups in Ontario
Abstract
Our objectives were to: (1) evaluate the current literature on the epidemiology of mood or anxiety disorders among migrant groups; (2) assess how current tools for measuring mood or anxiety disorders at the population level influence our understanding of the epidemiology by a) analyzing the concordance between two commonly used population measures, and b) using a Bayesian analysis to create a combined estimate using both measures; (3) estimate the prevalence and effects of potential risk factors on the prevalence of mood or anxiety disorders among first-generation migrant groups compared to the general population in Ontario. We conducted a systematic review and multiple secondary data analyses using data available from ICES to complete our objectives. Data sources included the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey–Mental Health, in addition to health administrative data sources in Ontario. Canadian evidence suggests the prevalence of mood or anxiety disorders was consistently lower among migrant groups compared to estimates from the general population. Our findings suggest there was low concordance between survey and administrative data derived estimates of mood or anxiety disorders among migrant and non-migrant groups. Our Bayesian analysis suggests that the true prevalence of mood or anxiety disorders may lie between estimates derived from administrative and survey data. Our findings also indicate that the relationship between migration and mood or anxiety disorders is variable depending on migrant specific risk factors including migrant class and region of birth. Our work highlights the importance of contextualizing population-level data sources to accurately inform policy.