The number of people with foreign background has increased rapidly in the Helsinki metropolitan area, but relatively little is known about their well-being. More information on the topic is provided in the recent MoniSuomi research material collected by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL and analysed by the City of Helsinki’s Urban Research and Statistics Unit. The perceived health of foreign-born people with foreign background and living in the Helsinki metropolitan area is at the same level as that of all Finns. By contrast, immigrants are much less likely to have long-term illnesses or health problems. Immigrants are also less likely to experience functional limitations due to health problems than the Finnish population as a whole.
However, mental stress is more common among immigrants in Finland than among the population as a whole. While the share is 18% for all people living in Finland, it is 22% for the immigrant population in the whole country and 23% in the Helsinki metropolitan area. There is no gender difference in mental stress among immigrants, but age is associated with stress so that older age groups experience it less.
Reason for moving to Finland and financial difficulties connected with mental stress
Of the factors examined in the study, the reasons for moving to Finland and financial difficulties are most clearly related to the likelihood of mental stress among people with foreign background. The least likely to experience mental stress are work-based immigrants, immigrants who are currently mainly employed (regardless of the reason for immigration) and those who do not have economic challenges in their lives.
Mental stress is clearly more common among immigrants who have moved on the basis of international protection than among work-related immigrants. However, this connection is explained by the current labour market status of people with refugee background and their higher likelihood to experience financial difficulties. While immigration often also challenges the well-being of people who have migrated voluntarily, the situation of those applying for international protection is in many ways more difficult that that of others. According to the results of the study, mental stress among immigrants with refugee background seems to be related to experiences of discrimination, loneliness and health problems, in addition to exclusion from the labour market and financial challenges.
Factors related to well-being also connected with mental stress
Poor quality of life, the experience of loneliness and poor experience of inclusion are clearly connected with the likelihood of mental stress. To a little extent, this association of well-being factors with stress can be explained by socio-economic status factors such as labour market status and financial difficulties.
The results illustrate the internal diversity of the population that has migrated to Finland. Their situation looks very different depending on whether we look at physical or mental well-being and from which viewpoints we assess well-being risk factors and their interdependencies. The above results also illustrate how the various dimensions of integration – employment, economic livelihood, well-being and inclusion – are interlinked.
Highlights of the City of Helsinki’s health and social services and measures to support integration
- Multidisciplinary health and social services targeted at the initial phase of immigration, with individual, family and group support measures to promote inclusion. These include housing support, home support and Parenting in Finland groups.
- A multidisciplinary working structure formed by the City of Helsinki’s different divisions and services, whose common client an immigrant is.
- The Sustainable Growth project, funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, is developing an operating model for services for immigrants and a multidisciplinary service concept for health and well-being.
