Pilot study of the prevalence of alcohol, substance use and mental disorders in a cohort of Iraqi, Afghani, and Iranian refugees in Vancouver

Introduction: This study investigated the prevalence rate of current alcohol, substance use, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in a cohort of Middle-Eastern government-assisted refugees (GAR) to British Columbia. Methods: A group of GARs (32 men and 36 women) were interviewed and assessed using four clinical assessments (AUDIT, DUDIT, IES-R, PHQ-9) at an intake facility in Metro Vancouver. Results: Men had a higher prevalence of alcohol use compared to women (15.6% versus 0%, P < .05). Substance use was low for both men and women (3.1% and 2.8%) and consisted of Tylenol 3 use. Approximately the same proportion of male and female GARs had PTSD as a clinical concern (21.8% and 22.2%). GARs that were Iraqi, Muslim, had attended university, or had children had higher IES-R scores compared to other GARs. Depression as a clinical concern was found in female and male GARs (16.7% and 21.9%). Total PHQ-9 scores were higher for GARs who were unmarried. Discussion: It would be beneficial for mental health care providers who treat Middle-Eastern GARs to review screening methods for PTSD, depression, and substance use. This may also include additional training in the screening of GARs for appropriate mental health services. Mental health services must be linguistically and culturally matched to the recipient for optimal therapeutic benefit.