[Finland] Study: 4 in 10 asylum seekers in Finland report anxiety, depression

A recent study on asylum seekers’ health and wellbeing conducted by the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) reported that more than half of approximately 1000 new arrivals claimed they had experienced at least one shocking possibly traumatic incident related to violence before they came to Finland.

Furthermore, the study concludes that up to forty percent of asylum seekers in Finland have reported experiencing symptoms associated with depression and anxiety.

THL research chief Anu Castenada elaborated in the latest release, "People from sub-Saharan Africa had more depression and anxiety symptoms that people from other areas. The same group had experienced more distressing events than others. For example, 67 percent of men coming from Africa reported experiencing torture, and 57 percent of women spoke of sexual violence." 

The study also suggests that asylum seekers are facing many health issues. Half of the women who came to Finland said they were suffering from some kind of chronic illness, the men had more injuries related to accidents and violence, while a majority of the underage children had never visited a dentist before.

This study is by far the most comprehensive study on asylum seekers’ health and wellbeing available on both a national and international level. The project was conducted by THL in collaboration with Finnish Immigration Agency (Migri) and reception centres, with support from the EU’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.