Acute Psychiatric Disorders in Foreign Domestic Workers in Hong Kong: a Pilot Study

• Published in: International journal of social psychiatry Vol. 55; no. 6; pp. 569 - 576
• Main Authors: Lau, Phyllis W.L., Cheng, Judy G.Y., Chow, Dickson L.Y., Ungvari, G.S., Leung, C.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.11.2009; Sage; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Age Factors; Biological and medical sciences; Case records; Chart reviews; China; Cross-Sectional Studies; Developing Countries; Domestic servants; Expatriates; Family Conflict - psychology; Female; Government agencies; Health services; Health Services Accessibility - statistics & numerical data; Hong Kong; Hospitalization; Humans; Illnesses; Indonesia - ethnology; Life Change Events; Local government; Loneliness - psychology; Marital relations; Medical sciences; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - epidemiology; Mental Disorders - ethnology; Mental Disorders - psychology; Migrant workers; Miscellaneous; Morbidity; Needs Assessment; Patient Admission - statistics & numerical data; Philippines - ethnology; Philippino; Pilot Projects; Psychiatric disorders; Psychiatric morbidity; Psychological distress; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychosis; Psychotic Disorders - diagnosis; Psychotic Disorders - epidemiology; Psychotic Disorders - ethnology; Psychotic Disorders - psychology; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Social psychiatry. Ethnopsychiatry; Sociocultural environment; Sociodemographics; Transients and Migrants - psychology; Vulnerable Populations - psychology; Women; Young Adult; Hong Kong; Asia; China; Philippines; Indonesia; Hong Kong China; foreign domestic workers; Hong Kong; Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder; mental health; Social environment; Human; Acute; Mental health; Sociocultural environment; Ethnic group; Retrospective; Marital status; Foreign worker; Sociodemographic factor; Acute and transient psychotic disorder; Mental disorder; Medical record; Woman; Age; Public health
• ISSN: 0020-7640; 1741-2854
• DOI: 10.1177/0020764008098294

Aim: To explore the psychopathology of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) who had an acute psychiatric disorder in Hong Kong. Method: This was a retrospective chart review. Demographic and clinical data were extracted from case records of FDWs who were admitted for the first time as inpatients for psychiatric treatment to three regional hospitals of the same catchment area in Hong Kong between 2000 and 2004. Relevant socio-demographic data on local FDWs and the general population of Hong Kong were obtained from local government departments. Results: Twenty-seven Filipino and 14 Indonesian FDWs presenting with their first and so far only psychiatric admission were identified. There were significantly more FDWs who were single or never married in the sample. Filipino FDWs tended to fall ill after 4 years of service in Hong Kong while the corresponding figure for Indonesian FDWs was 2 years. Indonesian FDWs were older and had less access to social and medical services than their Filipino counterparts. Home sickness and marital problems were more commonly identified as stressors rather than workrelated difficulties. Acute and Transient Psychotic Disorder (ICD-10) was diagnosed in over 60% of the subjects, making FDWs two times more vulnerable than local women of similar age for this illness. Conclusions: FDWs constitute a vulnerable group in terms of psychiatric morbidity. Concerted political, social and psychological efforts would be require to alleviate the distress faced by this particularly disadvantaged subset of female expatriates.