Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Analysis of Asylum Seekers' Experiences and Worries in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland

Kevin Morisod; Tiffany Martin; Cloé Rawlinson; Véronique S Grazioli; Christian von Plessen; Marie-Anne Durand; Kevin Selby; Marie-Annick Le Pogam; Nolwenn Bühler; Patrick Bodenmann

doi:10.3389/ijph.2023.1606229

Facing the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Analysis of Asylum Seekers' Experiences and Worries in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland

Int J Public Health. 2023 Sep 27:68:1606229. doi: 10.3389/ijph.2023.1606229. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Kevin Morisod^#^{1

2}, Tiffany Martin^#^{1

3}, Cloé Rawlinson^{1

3}, Véronique S Grazioli^{1

2}, Christian von Plessen^{4

5

6}, Marie-Anne Durand^{7

8

9}, Kevin Selby⁴, Marie-Annick Le Pogam³, Nolwenn Bühler^#^{1

3

10}, Patrick Bodenmann^#^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Vulnerabilities and Social Medicine, University Center of General Medicine and Public Health, Lausanne, Switzerland.
² Chair of Medicine for Vulnerable Populations, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Ambulatory Care, Center for Primary Care and Public Health, University Center of General Medicine and Public Health, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁵ Direction Générale de la Santé (DGS), Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁶ Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.
⁷ UMR1295 Centre d'Epidémiologie et de Recherche en Santé des Populations (CERPOP), Toulouse, France.
⁸ University Center of General Medicine and Public Health, Lausanne, Switzerland.
⁹ The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, Dartmouth College, Lebanon, NH, United States.
¹⁰ Institute of Social Sciences, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Objectives: The clinical and social burden of the COVID-19 pandemic were high among asylum seekers (ASs). We aimed to understand better ASs' experiences of the pandemic and their sources of worries. Methods: Participants (n = 203) completed a survey about their worries, sleep disorders, and fear of dying. We also conducted semi-structured interviews with ASs living in a community center (n = 15), focusing on how social and living conditions affected their experiences and worries. Results: ASs in community centers experienced more sleep disorders related to the COVID-19 pandemic than those living in private apartments (aOR 2.01, p = 0.045). Similarly, those with lower education had greater fear for their life due to the COVID-19 pandemic (aOR 2.31, p = 0.015). Qualitative findings showed that sharing living spaces was an important source of worries for ASs and that protective measures were perceived to increase social isolation. Conclusion: Our study highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for ASs and the importance of tailoring public health measures to their needs and living conditions.

Keywords: COVID-19; asylum seekers; community health; experiences; mixed-methods study; worries.

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Humans
Pandemics
Refugees*
Sleep Wake Disorders*
Switzerland / epidemiology

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the operating budget of the Centre for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and by contributions of the Department of Health and Social Action, Canton of Vaud and the following Swiss non-profit foundations: Leenaards Foundation and Fondation pour l’Université de Lausanne. Funding sources play no role in study design, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report and in the decision to submit the article for publication.