Table 2.
Characteristics and research results of the included primary studies
| Authors, publication year (study country) | Study design (representativeness) | Total sample (size, medium age (SDa), percentage of women) | Migrant group(s) (size, percentage of the total sample, medium age (SD), percentage of women) | Country (/-ies) of origin (percentage of all migrants) | Control group(s) (size, kind of control group(s), percentage of the total sample, medium age (SD), percentage of women) | Occupational group(s) (percentage of the total sample) | Working conditions (measurement instrument(s)) | Mental health outcome (measurement instrument(s)) | Main results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Secondary | |||||||||
| Braun et al. (2021) (Germany) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
68 (10.3% women) | 68 migrants (100%) |
• Arab countries (57.4%) • Non-Arab countries (42.6%) |
– | Urologists |
• Contract type • Working schedule • Specialization • Work setting • Job position |
Burnout (MBIb) | – | Having a permanent employment contract, working in managerial positions and working full-time as protective factors against the burnout dimension “Reduction of personal accomplishment” |
| Brendler-Lindqvist et al. (2022) (Sweden) |
Cohort study (representative) |
120,303 (50.2% women) |
• 47,637 refugees (39.6%, 41.7% women) • 72,666 migrants (60.4%, 55.9% women) |
• Eastern Europe, Russia and the post-Soviet republics (46.0%) • Western Europe, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (11.5%) • Middle East (16.7%) • Horn of Africa and Sudan (3.9%) • South and Central America (4.5%) • East Asia (8.3%) • Other (9.0%) |
– | – | Education–occupation match (SSYK96c) | Hospitalization for psychiatric diagnoses (ICD-10d) | – | Over- and underqualification as risk factors for hospitalization for psychiatric diagnoses |
| Capasso et al. (2016a) (Italy) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
250 (M = 43.2 (SD = 4.3), 100% women) | 250 migrants (100%) | Eastern Europe (100%) | – | Eldercare (100%) |
• Job type • Contract type • Working schedule • Work characteristics (JCQe) • Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERIf) • Work stress • Racial discrimination at work |
• Interpersonal disorders (SCL-90-Rg) • Anxious–depressive disorders (SCL-90-Rg) |
– | Negative association between high work demands and anxious–depressive as well as interpersonal disorders |
| Capasso et al. (2016b) (Italy) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
900 | 700 migrants (77.8%) |
• Eastern Europe (35.7%, M = 43.2, 100% women) • Morocco (35.7%, M = 40.8, 10% women) • Ghana (28.6%, M = 38.8, 9% women) |
200 native Italians (22.2%) |
• Eldercare (27.8%) • Factory workers (38.9%) • Masons (33.3%) |
• Job type • Contract type • Monthly income • Working schedule • Work characteristics (JCQe) • Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERIf) |
• Interpersonal disorders (SCL-90-Rg)• Anxious–depressive disorders (SCL-90-Rg) | – |
• Negative association between high rewards and anxious–depressive disorders for Moroccan and native factory workers • Positive association of high work demands and anxious–depressive disorders for native factory workers • Negative association of high rewards and anxious–depressive disorders for native masons • Negative association between high rewards and interpersonal disorders for Moroccan factory workers • Positive association between high demands and interpersonal disorders for native factory workers • Negative association between high work resources and interpersonal disorders for native factory workers • Positive association of high work demands and interpersonal disorders for Ghanaian and native masons • Negative association of high rewards and interpersonal disorders for native masons |
| Capasso et al. (2018a) (Italy) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
900 (M = 41.4 (SD = 4.1), 32.6% women) | 700 migrants (77.8%) |
• Eastern Europe (35.7%) • Morocco (35.7%) • Ghana (28.6%) |
200 native Italians (22.2%) |
• Eldercare (27.8%) • Factory workers (38.9%) • Masons (33.3%) |
• Job type • Contract type • Working schedule • Work characteristics (JCQe) • Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERIf) • Work stress • Racial discrimination at work |
• Interpersonal disorders (SCL-90-Rg) • Anxious–depressive disorders (SCL-90-Rg) |
– |
• Positive association between high work demands and interpersonal as well as anxious–depressive disorders for all workers • Negative association between high rewards and interpersonal disorders for all workers • Positive association between work stress and anxious–depressive disorders for all workers • Positive association of racial discrimination and interpersonal as well as anxious–depressive disorders for all workers • Higher risk for interpersonal disorders for Moroccan factory workers and Ghanaian masons • Higher risk for anxious–depressive disorders for native factory workers and Eastern European eldercare workers |
| Capasso et al. (2018b) (Italy) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
250 (M = 40.8 (SD = 3.5), 10% women) | 250 migrants (100%) | Morocco (100%) | – | Factory workers (100%) |
• Job type • Contract type • Working schedule • Work characteristics (JCQe) • Effort–Reward Imbalance (ERIf) • Work stress • Racial discrimination at work • Income level |
• Interpersonal disorders (SCL-90-Rg) • Anxious-depressive disorders (SCL-90-Rg) |
– |
• Positive association between high work demands and work stress • Positive association between racial discrimination and interpersonal disorders • Negative association of high rewards and interpersonal as well as anxious–depressive disorders • Positive association between high work demands in addition to racial discrimination and interpersonal disorders • Higher risk for interpersonal disorders |
| Chatzea et al. (2018) (Greece) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
176 | 85 migrants (48.3%) | International (100%) | 91 native Greeks (51.7%) | Rescue workers (100%) |
• Job type • Operation period • Shift duration • Number of dead adult refugees collected per rescue intervention • Number of dead children collected per rescue intervention |
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-Ch) • Burnout (MBIb) |
Well-being (WBI-5i) |
• Being a native Greek as predictor of PTSD, burnout and well-being • Operation period, duration of shifts, collection of dead adult bodies and collection of dead children bodies as significant predictors for PTSD, burnout and well-being |
| Espinoza-Castro et al. (2019) (Germany) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
282 (39.4% women) | 282 migrants (100%) |
• Andean Community (55.7%) • Other South American Countries (26.2%) • Mexico and Central America (18.1%) |
– | – |
• Education–occupation match (ISCO-08j) • Violence at the workplace (physical violence and sexual harassment) |
Common mental disorders (GHQ-12k) | – |
• Overqualification as risk factor for common mental disorders • Positive association between violence at the workplace and common mental disorders |
| Espinoza-Castro et al. (2021) (Germany) |
Cohort study (not representative) |
189 (89.4% women) | 189 migrants (100%, 89.4% women) |
• Colombia (49.2%) • Mexico and Central America (27.0%) • South America without Colombia (12.7%) • Spain (9.5) |
– | Au pairs (100%) |
• Working schedule • Working on holidays • Days off per week • Existence of a contract • Extra hours • Additional jobs • Physical violence by host children • Verbal offenses • Violence at the workplace (physical violence and sexual harassment) |
Depressive symptoms (PHQ-9l) | – |
• Working more than 40 h per week as predictor for depressive symptoms • Suffering physical violence by host children as predictor for depressive symptoms |
| Gosselin et al. (2022) (France) |
Cross-sectional study (representative) |
19,211 (48.2% women) | 898 migrants (4.7%) |
• EU (31.7%) • Africa (43.3%) • Not EU, not Africa (24.9%) |
18,313 native French (77.1%) | – |
• Type of work domain • Contract type • Work sector • Worksite size • Night work • Job strain (JDCS modelm) • Iso strain |
Anxiety (GAD-Minin) | – |
• Positive association between job strain and anxiety disorder among native French and some migrant groups • Positive association between isostrain and anxiety among native French and some migrant groups |
| Holten et al. (2018) (Denmark) |
Cohort study (not representative) |
2947 | 111 migrants (3.8%, M = 46.0, 92.0% women) |
• Europe (70.8%) • North America (0.9%) • South and Central America (3.8%) • Africa (7.5%) • Asia (11.3%) • Middle East (5.7%) |
2836 native Danes (96.2%, M = 48.0, 98.0% women) | Eldercare (100%) | Transformational leadership (GTLo) | – | Well-being (WBI-5i) | Transformational leadership as a predictor for positive change in well-being for native Danes, but not for migrants |
| Hultin et al. (2016) (Sweden) |
Cohort study (representative) |
23,952 (56.1% women) | 3349 migrants (14.0%) |
• Nordic (36.2%) • Europe (27.3%) • Non-Europe (36.5%) |
20,603 native Swedes (86.0%) | – | Education–occupation match (SSYK96c) | Common mental disorders (GHQ-12k) | – | Over- as well as underqualification no risk factor for psychological distress, neither for natives nor for migrants |
| Martynowska et al. (2020) (UK) |
Cross-sectional study (representative) |
551 (M = 33.0 (SD = 7.7), 75.0% women) | 551 migrants (100%) | Poland (100%) | – | – |
• Financial situation • Perceived change in attitude or behavior of supervisors • Perceived change in attitude or behavior of co-workers |
Perceived stress (PSS-Mind Gardenp) |
• Psychological well-being (PWBq) • Life satisfaction (SWLSr) |
• Positive association between negative change in attitude or behavior of supervisors or co-workers and perceived stress • Negative association between perceived stress and psychological well-being and life satisfaction |
| May et al. (2021) (Germany) |
Cross-sectional (not representative) |
81 (8.6% women) | 81 migrants (100%) | – | – | Urologists |
• Contract type • Working schedule • Specialization • Work setting • Job position |
Burnout (MBIb) | – | Being employed as senior or chief physician as protective factor against the burnout dimension “Reduction of personal accomplishment “ |
| Nie and Lämsä (2018) (Finland) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
117 (41.0% women) | 117 migrants (100%) | China (100%) | – | Employees in knowledge-based organizations (100%) | Paternalistic leadership of supervisor (PLSs) | Burnout (MBIb) | Leadership–Membership Exchange (LMX Scale) |
• Negative association between benevolence (as an aspect of the paternalistic leadership style) and burnout • Positive association between benevolence and the social component of well-being (LMX) • Positive association between morality (as an aspect of the paternalistic leadership style) and the social component of well-being (LMX) • Positive association between authoritarianism (as an aspect of the paternalistic leadership style) and burnout |
| Ramos Villagrasa and García Izquierdo (2018) (Spain) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
310 | 132 migrants (42.6%, M = 36.1 (SD = 10.0), 56.1% women) |
• Latin America (72.7%) • Non-communitarian Europe (14.4%) • Africa (6.1%) • Other cultures from all over the world (6.8%) |
178 native Spaniards (57.4%, M = 27.0 (SD = 9.4), 57.4%, 58.5% women) |
• Service sector • Industry sector • Construction sector • Agriculture and fishing (0.8%) |
• Type of work domain • Safety climate (Attitudes to Safety Scale) |
Common mental disorders (GHQ-12k) | – |
• Positive correlation between the communication and individual responsibility dimension of safety climate and well-being for migrants and natives • Positive correlation between the goal dimension of safety climate and well-being for migrants • Positive correlation between the individual responsibility dimension of safety climate and well-being for natives • Dimensions of safety climate no important predictor of well-being |
| Rhead et al. (2021) (UK) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
931 (76% women) | 328 migrants (35.27%) | – | 603 natives (64.8%) | Healthcare workers (100%) |
• Occupational group • Personal experience of discrimination at work • Witnessing discrimination at work • Personal experience of bullying/ harassment at work • Witnessing bullying/ harassment at work |
• Depressive symptoms (PHQ-9l) • Generalized anxiety (GAD-7t) • Somatization symptoms (PHQ-15u) |
– |
• Positive association between personal experience of discrimination and bullying/harassment (but not witnessing) and probable anxiety or depression (even after adjusting for migration status) • Positive association between personal experience of bullying/harassment as well as witnessing discrimination and moderate or severe somatic symptoms (even after adjusting for migration status) • Positive association between personal experience of discrimination and somatic symptoms (but not after adjusting for migration status) |
| Ronda-Pérez et al. (2019) (Spain) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
130 | 102 migrants (78.5%, 59.8% women) | Colombia, Ecuador | 28 native Spaniards (21.5%, 50.0% women) | – |
• Occupational social class • Working schedule • Formality of employment • Shif twork • Physical demands at the work place • Income level that precludes covering unforeseen expenses |
Common mental disorders (GHQ-12k) | – |
• Higher incidence of common mental disorders among natives than migrants independently of the working schedule (≤ 40 h per week or > 40 h per week) • Higher incidence of common mental disorders among natives than migrants with better working conditions (formal employment, no shift work, no physical demands, enough salary to cover unforeseen expenses) |
| Sifaki-Pistolla et al. (2017) (Greece) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
176 | 85 migrants (48.3%, 20.0% women) | International (100%) | 91 native Greeks (51.7%, 8.8% women) | Rescue workers (100%) |
• Operation period • Duration of shifts • Number of dead refugees collected per rescue intervention • Number of dead children collected per rescue intervention |
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PCL-Ch) | – |
• Positive association between operation period of more than 14 days as well as collection of more than one dead child per rescue intervention and higher probable PTSD • Positive association between daily shifts of more than four hours and the collection of more than six dead refugees per rescue intervention and higher probable PTSD among natives • Longer operation period, longer shift hours, collection of dead refugees and collection of dead children as major risk factors for probable PTSD |
| Virga and Iliescu (2017) (Spain) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
477 (M = 32.0 (SD = 7.2), 29.0% women) | 477 migrants (100%) | Romania (100%) | – | Blue-collar workers in construction work or agriculture (100%) | Job insecurity (JISv) |
• Burnout (MBI-General Surveyb) • Mental health com-plaints (5-Item Scale) |
– | Positive association between job insecurity and burnout as well as mental health complaints |
| Wassermann and Hoppe (2019) (Germany) |
Cross-sectional study (not representative) |
176 (M = 35.3 (SD = 7.9), 53.4% women) | 176 migrants (100%) | Italy (100%) | – | – |
• Working schedule • Perceived overqualification (SPOQw) |
Depressive symptoms (CES-Dx) | Life satisfaction (SWLSr) |
• Positive association between perceived overqualification and depressive symptoms • Negative association between perceived overqualification and life satisfaction |
aStandard Deviation
bMaslach-Burnout Inventory
cSwedish Standard Classifications of Occupations (national adaptation to the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88))
dInternational Classification of Diseases, version 10
eJob Content Questionnaire
fEffort–Reward Imbalance Scale
gSymptom Checklist 90 R
hPost-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist-Civilian Version
iWHO-5-Well-being Index
jInternational Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-88)
kGeneral Health Questionnaire-12
lPatient Health Questionnaire-9
mKarasek’s Job-Demand-Control-Support Model
nGeneralized Anxiety Disorder, Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview
oGlobal Transformational Leadership Scale
pPerceived Stress Scale-Mind Garden
qScale of Psychological Well-being
rSatisfaction with Life Scale
sPaternalistic Leadership Scale
tGeneralized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7
uPatient Health Questionnaire-15
vQualitative job insecurity scale and quantitative Job Insecurity Scale
wScale of Perceived Overqualification
xShort form of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale