A new ADR Wales Data Insight carried out the European Union Settled Status (EUSS) project team has explored mental health related GP visits among the EUSS population in Wales, compared to citizens born in Wales.
The preliminary analysis looks at Welsh-born individuals living in Wales compared to EU born individuals living in Wales to determine whether the number of reported mental health events, the age at first mental health events and the risk of depression, mixed anxiety and depression, and anxiety the were different across groups.
The project examined the differences between Welsh-born individuals and EU14-born and EU8-born individuals. EU14 countries include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden. EU8 countries include Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
Initial findings indicate statistically significant differences in reported mental health events between Welsh-born individuals and individuals born in EU14 and EU8 countries, along with differences between EU14-born and EU8-born individuals. The analysis also found:
- Individuals born in EU countries reported a greater number of depression and mixed anxiety events compared to Welsh-born individuals.
- EU14-born individuals were younger at first depression event when compared with EU8-born individuals. Welsh-born individuals were younger at first depression event when compared to EU14-born individuals. EU8-born individuals were younger at first anxiety event when compared with Welsh-born individuals.
- Compared to Wales, only EU8 countries are at a greater risk of a depression, mixed anxiety and depression, and anxiety event within the study period. Individuals from EU8 countries were also at greater risk compared to those from EU14 countries.
Full details of the preliminary analysis can be found here.