Research aim: to investigate the association between somatic disease incidence and psychiatric disorders, specifically posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression, in a cohort of migrants in Denmark.

Design: Prospective cohort study following migrants who obtained residence in Denmark between 1993 and 2010.

Population: 92,104 migrants who obtained residency in Denmark between 1993 and 2010. The study group consisted of migrants diagnosed with both PTSD and depression, while the comparison group included migrants with no diagnosed psychiatric disorders. Individuals older than 65 years and those with any other psychiatric disorders were excluded to ensure a clear comparison.

Methods: Data was collected via register linkage with Danish national databases. Poisson regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR) for various somatic diseases, adjusted for age, sex, income, and region of origin.

Primary investigator: Mette Lolk, MD

Supervisors: Marie Nørredam, MD, PhD, Jessica Carlsson, MD, PhD

Publication: Lolk, M., Byberg, S., Carlsson, J., & Norredam, M. (2016). Somatic comorbidity among migrants with posttraumatic stress disorder and depression–a prospective cohort study. BMC psychiatry, 16, 1-12.