20250327_RAG_RespiRadar

20250327_RAG_RespiRadar</p

Specialized mental healthcare use for common mental disorders and prescription of antidepressants before and during the COVID-19 pandemic among working-age refugees and Swedish-born individuals – a nationwide register-based study

Background It is known that refugees have an elevated risk of common mental disorders (CMDs, including depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders). The effect of the coronavirus disease pandemic on healthcare use due to CMDs in refugees is yet unknown, especially in socioeconomically deprived groups. We conducted a population-wide study comparing specialized healthcare use for CMDs and antidepressant prescriptions before and during the pandemic in refugees and Swedish-born, and investigated differences by labor market marginalization and&nbsp;education. Methods An interrupted time series analysis of quarterly cohorts (2018.01.01–2021.12.31) of all refugees and Swedish-born, aged 19 to 65 was applied. Information on outcome measures and covariates were linked individually from administrative registers. We applied interrupted time series and estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR) of the incidence rates (IR) and their corresponding confidence intervals (CI) before and during the&nbsp;pandemic. Results A total of 4,932,916 individuals, of whom 488,299 (9.9%) were refugees, were included at baseline. We observed a 3% (95% CI: 1%, 5%) quarterly increase in trends of healthcare use due to CMDs in refugees, but no changes in Swedish-born individuals. The IRRs were larger in refugees whose labor market position was marginalized (IRR: 6%, (3%, 9%)), and refugees with low education level (IRR: 4% (1%, 7%)). There were no substantial changes in antidepressant&nbsp;prescription. Conclusion Refugees, especially those already in a marginalized position, had increased CMD-related mental healthcare use during the pandemic. Strategies to meet the mental health care needs of marginalized refugees are of outmost public health&nbsp;importance.</p

Implementation of METROFOOD services in the Belgium node

METROFOOD-FED.BE, a 3-year project funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office (BELSPO), is the national component of the ESFRI (European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures) research infrastructure (RI), METROFOOD-RI, an European distributed-RI aimed at promoting scientific excellence via high-level metrological services in food and nutrition, thereby enhancing food quality and safety in Europe. METROFOOD-FED.BE thrives to carry forward this mission at a national scale and to ensure that metrology services provided by Belgian components are (a) reinforced, (b) well-positioned in the Belgian and global research and innovation (R&amp;I) landscape, (c) innovative and caters to safe and sustainable by design models (SSbD), (d) robustly tested for performance and high-quality service provision, and (e) sufficiently valorized. METROFOOD-FED.BE services will be made available for Open Access to external target users and stakeholders via different access types, access modes and suitably designed access procedures. Services prepared for provision within the project will ensure that user demands, competitive and fair-pricing, driven by scientific and technological excellence, are at the heart of its&nbsp;objectives.</p