Findings also suggest that chronic pain becomes more prevalent with length of stay in the destination country. Women with a migration background were identified as a particularly vulnerable group for developing chronic pain and comorbid mental health disorders. Anxiety, depression, and PTSD diagnoses were also shown to be more prevalent in immigrants and were significantly associated with chronic pain. Current data indicates that this bidirectional relationship between mental health disorders and chronic pain also applies to populations with a migration background. Studies with different definitions of chronic pain were included, and most did not categorise chronic pain as musculoskeletal.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 12, 2024 23:11 UTC