Mental Health on the Move: A Nationwide Study to Characterize Post-migration Depression Among Migrants From Sub-Saharan Africa in China

Background: Migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa to China faced challenges in accessing healthcare. Less is known about their depression prevalence. We aim to address this gap by providing an initial estimation on the depression prevalence and its correlates. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from August to October in 2019. Eligibility was defined as being originally from a Sub-Saharan African country and cumulative residence in China for at least one month. A convenience sample was drawn from snowball sampling online and venue-based sampling by community outreach. The primary outcome depression was measured by the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale using 16 as the cutoff. Multivariable logistic regressions were employed to examine the association between depression and its migration-related correlates. Data were analyzed using SAS 9.4. Results: The depression prevalence was high at 44% among 928 participants. Depression was positively associated with unsatisfactory housing conditions (aOR: 1.7, 95%CI: 0.8 to 3.3) and perception of very unfriendly attitudes from the local people (aOR: 4.5, 95%CI: 1.2 to 16.1) after adjusting for covariates. Conclusions: Depression is prevalent among Sub-Saharan Africa migrants in China and warrants attention and intervention. Support should be provided during the post-migration period in China to mitigate depression risks for Sub-Saharan Africa migrants. Future studies are needed to build more evidence on Sub-Saharan Africa migrants’ mental health and to inform global health policies and programming.