The Presence and Profile of Neurological Conditions and Associated Psychiatric Comorbidities in US Resettled Refugees: A Retrospective Single Center Study

Refugees are a vulnerable, growing population who confront a myriad of traumas leading to their forced migration. Although psychiatric illnesses of resettled refugees are well-documented, there is a paucity of studies characterizing their neurological disease profiles. This study aimed to characterize the frequency and range of neurological disorders in a sample of resettled refugees receiving care at a community health center in Massachusetts, U.S.A. We performed a retrospective medical record review of adult (>= 18 years) resettled refugees between May 2001 and December 2012 at a community health center in Northeast Massachusetts. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics pertaining to neuropsychiatric health were collected from medical records using a standardized data extraction tool. Group comparisons between those with and without neurological illness and associated sociodemographic and psychiatric characteristics were evaluated using chi(2) and independent samples two-tailed t-tests. In our sample (n = 779), 53.3% (n = 415) were male and 48.8% (n = 380) were from the African continent. The mean age was 33.2 +/- 12.4 years (range 18-85). 36.8% were diagnosed with at least one neurological disorder and 18.1% with more than one neurological illness. The most common diagnoses were headaches (28.3%), sleep disorders (11.2%), cognitive impairment/ dementia (5.5%), and head trauma (5.5%). Exploratory analyses revealed that participants with neurological illness were more likely to be older (p < .001), female (p = .002), and diagnosed with co-morbid psychiatric diagnoses (p < .001) than those without neurological illness. Neurological disorders frequently co-occur with psychiatric comorbidities among U.S. resettled adult refugees. Standard refugee health assessments should incorporate screening and treatment for neurological illnesses.

Automated summary

This study aimed to characterize the frequency and range of neurological disorders in resettled refugees receiving care in Massachusetts. The results showed that 36.8% of the participants were diagnosed with at least one neurological disorder, with headaches and sleep disorders being the most common. Participants with neurological illness were more likely to be older, female, and diagnosed with psychiatric comorbidities.