IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i21p11722-d674487.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Impact of Family Separation on Subjective Time Pressure and Mental Health in Refugees from the Middle East and Africa Resettled in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: A Cross-Sectional Study

Author

Listed:
  • Matthias Hans Belau

    (School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany
    Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany)

  • Heiko Becher

    (Institute of Medical Biometry and Epidemiology, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany)

  • Alexander Kraemer

    (School of Public Health, Bielefeld University, 33501 Bielefeld, Germany)

Abstract

Little is known about social determinants among refugees resettled in Germany. This study aims to examine the impact of family separation on refugees’ subjective time pressure and mental health. Data come from the FlueGe Health Study ( n = 208), a cross-sectional study administered by Bielefeld University. We used logistic regression analysis to investigate the effect of family separation on (i) being time-stressed and (ii) having a high risk for adverse mental health, considering sociodemographic and postmigration factors. As a result, more than 30% of participants with a spouse or partner and about 18% with a child or children reported separation. Multiple logistic regression showed that family separation was not associated with being time-stressed, but separation from at least one child was associated with adverse mental health (OR = 3.53, 95% CI = [1.23, 10.11]). In conclusion, family separation primarily contributes to adverse mental health among refugees from the Middle East and Africa resettled in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Therefore, policies and practices that facilitate family reunification can contribute significantly to the promotion of refugees’ mental health and well-being.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthias Hans Belau & Heiko Becher & Alexander Kraemer, 2021. "Impact of Family Separation on Subjective Time Pressure and Mental Health in Refugees from the Middle East and Africa Resettled in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11722-:d:674487
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11722/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/21/11722/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yan Guo & Xinguang Chen & Jie Gong & Fang Li & Chaoyang Zhu & Yaqiong Yan & Liang Wang, 2016. "Association between Spouse/Child Separation and Migration-Related Stress among a Random Sample of Rural-to-Urban Migrants in Wuhan, China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(4), pages 1-13, April.
    2. Daniel S. Hamermesh & Jungmin Lee, 2007. "Stressed Out on Four Continents: Time Crunch or Yuppie Kvetch?," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 89(2), pages 374-383, May.
    3. Thomas Siedler & Jürgen Schupp & C. Katharina Spieß & Gert G. Wagner, 2008. "The German Socio-Economic Panel as a Reference Data Set," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 150, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    4. Yuriy Nesterko & David Jäckle & Michael Friedrich & Laura Holzapfel & Heide Glaesmer, 2020. "Health care needs among recently arrived refugees in Germany: a cross-sectional, epidemiological study," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(6), pages 811-821, July.
    5. Oluwakemi C. Amodu & Magdalena S. Richter & Bukola O. Salami, 2020. "A Scoping Review of the Health of Conflict-Induced Internally Displaced Women in Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-21, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. repec:diw:diwwpp:dp577 is not listed on IDEAS
    2. Frances McGinnity & Emma Calvert, 2008. "Yuppie Kvetch? Work-life Conflict and Social Class in Western Europe," Papers WP239, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    3. Shvartsman, Elena & Beckmann, Michael, 2015. "Stressed by your job: What is the role of personnel policy?," Working papers 2015/15, Faculty of Business and Economics - University of Basel.
    4. Daniel S. Hamermesh & Katie R. Genadek & Michael C. Burda, 2021. "Racial/Ethnic Differences in Non-Work at Work," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 74(2), pages 272-292, March.
    5. Prinz, Aloys & Bünger, Björn, 2009. "From full life to balanced life: Extending Martin Seligman's route to happiness," CAWM Discussion Papers 17, University of Münster, Münster Center for Economic Policy (MEP).
    6. Kathrin Maier & Karol Konaszewski & Sebastian Binyamin Skalski & Arndt Büssing & Janusz Surzykiewicz, 2022. "Spiritual Needs, Religious Coping and Mental Wellbeing: A Cross-Sectional Study among Migrants and Refugees in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-16, March.
    7. Constantin Anghelache & Alexandru MANOLE & Madalina-Gabriela ANGHEL & Cristina SACALA, 2016. "The Analyse of the Labor Force Resources Market," Romanian Statistical Review Supplement, Romanian Statistical Review, vol. 64(12), pages 132-139, December.
    8. Naomi Friedman-Sokuler & Claudia Senik, 2022. "Time-Use and Subjective Well-Being: Is there a Preference for Activity Diversity?," PSE Working Papers halshs-03828272, HAL.
    9. Almudena Sevilla Sanz & Jose Ignacio GImenez Nadal, 2007. "A Note on Leisure Inequality in the US: 1965-2003," Economics Series Working Papers 374, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    10. Niels-Hugo Blunch & David C. Ribar & Mark Western, 2020. "Under pressure? Assessing the roles of skills and other personal resources for work-life strains," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 883-906, September.
    11. Hamermesh Daniel S. & Slemrod Joel B, 2008. "The Economics of Workaholism: We Should Not Have Worked on This Paper," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 8(1), pages 1-30, January.
    12. Helmut Rainer & Thomas Siedler, 2009. "O Brother, Where Art Thou? The Effects of Having a Sibling on Geographic Mobility and Labour Market Outcomes," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 76(303), pages 528-556, July.
    13. Bedaso, Fenet, 2021. "The Labor Market Integration of Refugees and other Migrants in Germany," GLO Discussion Paper Series 884, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    14. Jayaraman, Anuja & Findeis, Jill L. & Swaminathan, Hema, 2004. "Stress Among Farm Women:An Analysis Of Farm Households In Pennsylvania," 2004 Annual meeting, August 1-4, Denver, CO 20307, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    15. Siedler, Thomas, 2007. "Schooling and Citizenship: Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reforms," IZA Discussion Papers 2573, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Daniel Kuehnle & Christoph Wunder, 2016. "Using the Life Satisfaction Approach to Value Daylight Savings Time Transitions: Evidence from Britain and Germany," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 17(6), pages 2293-2323, December.
    17. Jose Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal & Raquel Ortega-Lapiedra, 2010. "Self-employment and time stress: the effect of leisure quality," Applied Economics Letters, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 17(17), pages 1735-1738.
    18. Almudena Sevilla & Jose Gimenez-Nadal & Jonathan Gershuny, 2012. "Leisure Inequality in the United States: 1965–2003," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(3), pages 939-964, August.
    19. Mette Deding & Mette Lausten, 2011. "Gendered Time-Crunch and Work Factors in Denmark," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 101(2), pages 249-253, April.
    20. Charlene Kalenkoski & Karen Hamrick & Margaret Andrews, 2011. "Time Poverty Thresholds and Rates for the US Population," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 104(1), pages 129-155, October.
    21. Hélène Couprie & Gaëlle Ferrant, 2015. "Welfare Comparisons, Economies of Scale and Equivalence Scale in Time Use," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 117-118, pages 185-210.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11722-:d:674487. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.