| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 國際衛生碩士學位學程 === 104 === Background: Ever since Taiwan has undergone rapid economic development and this has created a labor shortage in the “lower skilled” sector, there has been an increasing demand for foreign workers to fill labor gaps. The major suppliers are the neighboring countries, one of which is Indonesia. While the physical health of migrant workers is well monitored and screened, the mental health of workers is largely neglected and poor mental health may have negative influences on both work performance and physical health. The purpose of this study is to provide quantitative evidence on the prevalence of mental health status among Indonesian migrant workers in Taiwan and explore the factors from personal, family and work environment aspects that might be associated with mental health status in this population.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a self-completion questionnaire which; includes socio-demographic and work characteristics, along with the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 (HSCL-25), a measurement of psychological distress. This was done as a convenience sample of Indonesian migrant workers from different places in Taiwan. Two hundred and fifty one workers completed the questionnaire.
Results: The mean age of the workers was 29 ± 6.5 years with an age range between 19-47 years. Female participants accounted for about 72 per cent of the sample and more than half of the samples were married (51%). The mean duration of school was 10.4 years and care sector comprises the most number of study participants (N=175). Using HSCL-25 score 1,75 as a cut-off, 41 participants (16%) reported high level of mental distress. Married workers were less likely to have poor mental health status. On the other hand, lack of contact with family members and un-accommodated religious practice were associated with more depressive and anxiety symptoms.
Conclusion: This results are such that consideration are needed to ensure accommodations provided by workplaces for foreign migrant workers and secure the rights to get a hold of a means of communication as a way of providing the feeling of contentment obtained from continuing bonds and support from the family.
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