Role of Social Support on Mental Health Among Resettled Bhutanese Refugees in Ohio.

More than 80% of Bhutanese refugees have resettled in the United States. Social support can lead to better resilience against poor mental health outcomes among this population. This study assessed the role of social support on mental health among the resettled Bhutanese adults in Central Ohio. This study used data collected by the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services on 200 Bhutanese adults in Columbus. Social support was measured using a 12-item perceived social support scale. The 25-item Hopkins Symptoms Checklist was used to quantify depression and anxiety experienced in the past month. One-in-three participants reported mental health problems. Compared to participants with high social support, those with medium (OR 5.28, 95% CI 2.09-13.37) and low social support (OR 10.94, 95% CI 2.53-47.33) had more than 5- and 10-fold increased odds of mental health problems respectively. Future studies could further explore the role of social support on mental health during relocation, resettlement, and acculturation processes.

Older adults with pre-existing noncommunicable conditions and their healthcare access amid COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study in eastern Nepal.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has greatly impacted older adults with pre-existing noncommunicable conditions (hereafter called pre-existing conditions) in terms of their access to essential healthcare services. Based on the theory of vertical health equity, this study investigated access to healthcare by Nepali older adults with pre-existing conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study surveyed 847 randomly selected older adults (≥60 years) in three districts of eastern Nepal. Survey questionnaires, administered by trained community health workers, collected information on participants reported difficulty obtaining routine care and medications during the pandemic, in addition to questions on demographics, socioeconomic factors and pre-existing conditions. Cumulative scores for pre-existing conditions were recoded as no pre-existing condition, single condition and multimorbidity for the analyses. χ2 tests and binary logistic regressions determined inferences. RESULTS: Nearly two-thirds of the participants had a pre-existing condition (43.8% single condition and 22.8% multimorbid) and reported experiencing difficulty obtaining routine care (52.8%) and medications (13.5%). Participants with single (OR 3.06, 95% CI 2.17 to 4.32) and multimorbid (OR 5.62, 95% CI 3.63 to 8.71) conditions had threefold and fivefold increased odds of experiencing difficulty accessing routine care. Findings were similar for difficulty obtaining medication (OR single: 3.12, 95% CI 1.71 to 5.69; OR multimorbid: 3.98, 95% CI 2.01 to 7.87) where odds were greater than threefolds. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with pre-existing conditions in Nepal, who require routine medical care and medication, faced significant difficulties obtaining them during the pandemic, which may lead to deterioration in their pre-existing conditions. Public health emergency preparedness should incorporate plans for both managing the emergency and providing continuing care.