Mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries: a retrospective analysis from Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services, 2019–2024
Background More complex humanitarian emergencies have a profound impact on a rapidly growing ageing population. There are few data available on the mental health conditions of older people in humanitarian settings. This study describes mental health symptoms among older adults to inform the developm...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2025-07-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Global Health |
| Online Access: | https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/7/e019821.full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850090671062384640 |
|---|---|
| author | Joyce L Browne Grazia Caleo Patrick Keating Oscar Franco Elburg van Boetzelaer Nicole Wasara Erickmar Rodriguez Favila Escobio Umberto Pellecchia Judith van de Kamp Martins Dada Nadia Fredj Germando Kagomba Barathi Agirdo David Akaso Marion Staunton Raghda Sleit |
| author_facet | Joyce L Browne Grazia Caleo Patrick Keating Oscar Franco Elburg van Boetzelaer Nicole Wasara Erickmar Rodriguez Favila Escobio Umberto Pellecchia Judith van de Kamp Martins Dada Nadia Fredj Germando Kagomba Barathi Agirdo David Akaso Marion Staunton Raghda Sleit |
| author_sort | Joyce L Browne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background More complex humanitarian emergencies have a profound impact on a rapidly growing ageing population. There are few data available on the mental health conditions of older people in humanitarian settings. This study describes mental health symptoms among older adults to inform the development of age-adapted and gender-adapted mental health services in humanitarian contexts.Methods This multicountry study includes data from adults aged 50 years or older that accessed Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services in humanitarian settings across 20 countries between July 2019 and July 2024. Mental health symptoms and precipitating events were compared by age, sex and displacement status using regression analyses. Analyses were mutually adjusted for sex and displacement status to account for confounding.Findings Data of 21 926 adults were included. Older adults presented at mental health services with anxiety-related symptoms (36%), physical complaints (33%) and mood-related symptoms (18%). Compared with men, women had higher odds of reporting mood-related symptoms (adjusted Odds R=1.60; 95% CI 1.48 to 1.73), and precipitating events related to sexual trauma or abuse (aOR=9.98; 95% CI 8.11 to 12.40). Compared with non-displaced older adults, displaced older adults had higher odds of reporting neuro-psychiatric-related (aOR=2.35; 95% CI 2.07 to 2.66), mood-related (aOR=2.08; 95% CI 1.93 to 2.24), ageing-related (aOR=1.47; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.86) and anxiety-related (aOR=1.42; 95% CI 1.33 to 1.51) symptoms, and precipitating events related to sexual trauma or abuse, abuse during detention and violence, with variations depending on sex.Interpretation Older adults in humanitarian settings experience diverse mental health symptoms, with critical differences by sex and displacement status. Women were more likely than men to present with mood-related symptoms and to report experiences of sexual trauma and abuse. Displacement significantly heightens exposure to violence and mental health presentations for both women and men. These findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen protection systems and ensure access to gender-sensitive mental health interventions for older populations. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ab35b7b59c1d478baf840d5dd835c8ae |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2059-7908 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Global Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-ab35b7b59c1d478baf840d5dd835c8ae2025-08-20T02:42:31ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Global Health2059-79082025-07-0110710.1136/bmjgh-2025-019821Mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries: a retrospective analysis from Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services, 2019–2024Joyce L Browne0Grazia Caleo1Patrick Keating2Oscar Franco3Elburg van Boetzelaer4Nicole Wasara5Erickmar Rodriguez6Favila Escobio7Umberto Pellecchia8Judith van de Kamp9Martins Dada10Nadia Fredj11Germando Kagomba Barathi12Agirdo David Akaso13Marion Staunton14Raghda Sleit15Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The NetherlandsMedecins Sans Frontieres Operational Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsMedecins Sans Frontieres Operational Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsJulius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The NetherlandsJulius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The NetherlandsMedecins sans Frontieres, Syrian Arab Republic, Syrian Arab RepublicMedecins Sans Frontieres, New Delhi, Delhi, IndiaHelpage International, London, UKMedecins Sans Frontieres Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, LuxembourgJulius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre, Utrecht, The NetherlandsMedecins Sans Frontieres Operational Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsMedecins Sans Frontieres Operational Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsMedecins sans Frontieres, Juba, South SudanMedecins sans Frontieres, Juba, South SudanHelpage International, London, UKMedecins Sans Frontieres Operational Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The NetherlandsBackground More complex humanitarian emergencies have a profound impact on a rapidly growing ageing population. There are few data available on the mental health conditions of older people in humanitarian settings. This study describes mental health symptoms among older adults to inform the development of age-adapted and gender-adapted mental health services in humanitarian contexts.Methods This multicountry study includes data from adults aged 50 years or older that accessed Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services in humanitarian settings across 20 countries between July 2019 and July 2024. Mental health symptoms and precipitating events were compared by age, sex and displacement status using regression analyses. Analyses were mutually adjusted for sex and displacement status to account for confounding.Findings Data of 21 926 adults were included. Older adults presented at mental health services with anxiety-related symptoms (36%), physical complaints (33%) and mood-related symptoms (18%). Compared with men, women had higher odds of reporting mood-related symptoms (adjusted Odds R=1.60; 95% CI 1.48 to 1.73), and precipitating events related to sexual trauma or abuse (aOR=9.98; 95% CI 8.11 to 12.40). Compared with non-displaced older adults, displaced older adults had higher odds of reporting neuro-psychiatric-related (aOR=2.35; 95% CI 2.07 to 2.66), mood-related (aOR=2.08; 95% CI 1.93 to 2.24), ageing-related (aOR=1.47; 95% CI 1.15 to 1.86) and anxiety-related (aOR=1.42; 95% CI 1.33 to 1.51) symptoms, and precipitating events related to sexual trauma or abuse, abuse during detention and violence, with variations depending on sex.Interpretation Older adults in humanitarian settings experience diverse mental health symptoms, with critical differences by sex and displacement status. Women were more likely than men to present with mood-related symptoms and to report experiences of sexual trauma and abuse. Displacement significantly heightens exposure to violence and mental health presentations for both women and men. These findings underscore the urgent need to strengthen protection systems and ensure access to gender-sensitive mental health interventions for older populations.https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/7/e019821.full |
| spellingShingle | Joyce L Browne Grazia Caleo Patrick Keating Oscar Franco Elburg van Boetzelaer Nicole Wasara Erickmar Rodriguez Favila Escobio Umberto Pellecchia Judith van de Kamp Martins Dada Nadia Fredj Germando Kagomba Barathi Agirdo David Akaso Marion Staunton Raghda Sleit Mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries: a retrospective analysis from Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services, 2019–2024 BMJ Global Health |
| title | Mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries: a retrospective analysis from Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services, 2019–2024 |
| title_full | Mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries: a retrospective analysis from Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services, 2019–2024 |
| title_fullStr | Mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries: a retrospective analysis from Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services, 2019–2024 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries: a retrospective analysis from Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services, 2019–2024 |
| title_short | Mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low- and middle-income countries: a retrospective analysis from Médecins sans Frontières-supported mental health services, 2019–2024 |
| title_sort | mental health of older adults in humanitarian settings in low and middle income countries a retrospective analysis from medecins sans frontieres supported mental health services 2019 2024 |
| url | https://gh.bmj.com/content/10/7/e019821.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joycelbrowne mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT graziacaleo mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT patrickkeating mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT oscarfranco mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT elburgvanboetzelaer mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT nicolewasara mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT erickmarrodriguez mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT favilaescobio mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT umbertopellecchia mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT judithvandekamp mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT martinsdada mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT nadiafredj mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT germandokagombabarathi mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT agirdodavidakaso mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT marionstaunton mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 AT raghdasleit mentalhealthofolderadultsinhumanitariansettingsinlowandmiddleincomecountriesaretrospectiveanalysisfrommedecinssansfrontieressupportedmentalhealthservices20192024 |