Assessment of stress and depression among migrant workers in factories, Mae Sot District, Tak Province: A cross-sectional study
Keywords:
Suicide, Stress, Depression, Migrant worker, Mental healthAbstract
This cross-sectional survey study aimed to investigate the levels of stress and depression, as well as factors associated with stress, among migrant workers employed in factories in Mae Sot District, Tak Province. The sample consisted of 523 migrant workers selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires developed by the Department of Mental Health, comprising: 1) general information (13 items); 2) the Stress Test (ST-5); and 3) screening tools for depression and suicidal tendency. The data collection process began with the two-item depression screening questionnaire. Participants who were identified as being at risk of depression were further assessed using the nine-item depression questionnaire. When depressive symptoms at a mild level or higher were identified, an eight-item suicide risk assessment was subsequently administered. Data were analyzed using the
chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test.
The results showed that 66.5% of the participants were female, with a mean age of 30 years (S.D. = 7.9). Regarding stress levels, 97.3% of the participants experienced low stress, and the prevalence of stress was 2.7 per 100 population. Analysis of the associated factors revealed that sex, age, marital status, educational level, underlying diseases, and duration of residence in Thailand were not significantly associated with stress (p-value > 0.05). Regarding depression, 8.8% of the participants were identified as an at-risk group; among these individuals, 13.0% exhibited mild depressive symptoms, and 0.4% of the total sample demonstrated a low level of suicide attempt. The findings of this study can inform the monitoring and surveillance of mental health among migrant workers. However, this study was conducted in factories with legally registered migrant workers and employed a cross-sectional design, which limits its ability to determine causal relationships and did not control for confounding variables. Therefore, the application of the findings should be interpreted with caution.
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