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Table 4 Physical and mental health symptoms and concerns post-trafficking among fishermen using post-trafficking services in Cambodia and Thailand (n = 275)

From: “Because if we talk about health issues first, it is easier to talk about human trafficking”; findings from a mixed methods study on health needs and service provision among migrant and trafficked fishermen in the Mekong

 

Long-haul fishermen (n = 198)

Short-haul fishermen (n = 77)

Whole sample (n = 275)

 

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Symptoma

Dizzy spells

69

34.9%

14

18.2%

83

30.2%

Headaches

67

33.8%

11

14.3%

78

28.4%

Dental problems

32

16.2%

10

13.0%

42

15.3%

Nausea/indigestion

46

23.2%

10

13.0%

56

20.4%

Diarrhea/gastrointestinal

24

12.1%

8

10.4%

32

11.6%

Back pain

40

20.2%

17

22.1%

57

20.7%

Skin problems

37

18.7%

14

18.2%

51

18.6%

Feeling completely exhausted

63

31.8%

18

23.7%

81

29.5%

Fainting

6

3.0%

2

2.6%

8

2.9%

Significant weight loss

56

28.3%

7

9.1%

63

22.9%

Memory problems

58

29.3%

8

10.4%

66

24.0%

Persistent coughing

33

16.7%

5

6.5%

38

13.8%

Reporting > = 3 areas of pain

62

31.3%

18

23.4%

80

29.1%

Self-assessed health (past month)

Poor

63

31.8%

11

14.3%

74

26.9%

Fair

100

50.5%

27

35.1%

127

46.2%

Good

34

17.2%

32

41.6%

66

24.0%

Very good

1

0.5%

7

9.1%

8

2.9%

Want to see doctor or nurse for these symptoms#

135/177

76.3%

35/66

53.0%

170/243

70.0%

Post-trafficking mental healthb

Symptomatic of depression

122

61.9%

27

35.1%

149

54.4%

Symptomatic of PTSD

94

47.7%

14

18.2%

108

39.4%

Symptomatic of anxiety

106

53.8%

17

22.1%

123

44.9%

Symptomatic of any Mental Health Disorder (MHD)

197

69.5%

77

41.6%

169

61.7%

Self-harm

11

5.6%

3

3.9%

14

5.1%

Suicide attempts

11

5.6%

1

1.3%

12

4.4%

Thoughts of ending your life

18

9.1%

2

2.6%

20

7.3%

Post-trafficking concernsb

Own physical health

73

37.1%

19

24.7%

92

33.6%

Own mental health

36

18.3%

6

7.8%

42

15.3%

Earning money/having job/paying debt

110

55.8%

24

31.2%

134

48.9%

Nowhere to stay short term

17

8.6%

4

5.2%

21

7.7%

Nowhere to stay long term

45

22.8%

12

15.6%

57

20.8%

Money-related problems in family

130

66.0%

40

52.0%

170

62.0%

Health-related problems in family

90

45.7%

38

49.4%

128

46.7%

Afraid of trafficker or associates

11

5.6%

10

13.0%

21

7.7%

Guilt or shame

73

37.1%

19

24.7%

92

33.6%

Documents

15

7.6%

21

27.3%

36

13.1%

Spiritual/religious concerns/ghosts

7

3.6%

7

9.1%

14

5.1%

Other

24

12.2%

23

29.9%

47

17.2%

No concerns

5

2.5%

8

3.5%

13

4.7%

Money concerns (aggregate personal or family)

161

81.7%

47

61.0%

208

75.9%

Post-trafficking concern score (mean)c

198

3.2

77

2.9

275

3.1

  1. aProportion endorsing “quite a lot” or “extremely”
  2. bOne missing for depression, anxiety, each post-trafficking concern, self-harm, suicide attempts among long-haul fishermen/whole sample
  3. cScore min = 0, max = 12