Trafficking, Client and Police Violence, Sexual Risk and Mental Health Among Women in the Sex Industry at the Thai-Myanmar Border.

This study describes sex trafficking and associations with violence and health among female migrants in the sex industry in Mae Sot, Thailand. The mixed-methods study included a qualitative interview phase (n = 10), followed by a cross-sectional survey phase (n = 128). Entry via trafficking (force, fraud, or coercion [FFC], or as minors) was prevalent (76.6%), primarily FFC (73.4%). FFC was associated with inconsistent condom use, inability to refuse clients, poor health, and anxiety. Past-year violence was normative including client sexual violence (66.4%), client coercion for condom nonuse (> 95%), and police extortion (56%). Working conditions enabled violence irrespective of mode of entry. Profound unmet needs exist for safety and access to justice irrespective of trafficking history.

Gender Differences in Violence and Other Human Rights Abuses Among Migrant Workers on the Thailand-Myanmar Border.

We describe human rights violations against migrant workers at the Thailand-Myanmar border, and evaluate differences by gender and industry. This mixed methods study pairs key informant interviews ( n = 40) with a cross-sectional quantitative survey of migrant workers from Myanmar ( n = 589) recruited via respondent-driven sampling. Key informants described significant hazards during migration, including deception, theft, and physical and sexual abuse, the latter primarily for women. Quantitative results confirmed prevalent mistreatment and abuse, with significant gender differences, most notably women's disproportionate burden of sexual abuse. Current evidence on the nature of experiences, and significant differences by gender, can position prevention and response programming.

Workplace and security stressors and mental health among migrant workers on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

BACKGROUND: Migrant workers in low-resource settings may experience multiple types of workplace and security-related stressors. This study explores the relationship between these stressors and adverse mental health outcomes, through a study of migrant workers from Myanmar, working in agriculture, factory, and sex industries in and around Mae Sot, Thailand. METHODS: Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit a total sample of 589 male and female migrants. Trained data collectors administered a survey, which included measures of workplace and security-related stressors, and depression and anxiety symptoms. Multivariate regression models were conducted separately for depression and anxiety symptoms. RESULTS: For male agricultural workers, security stressors (ß = 1.9, p = .001) are associated with an increase in depression symptoms and coercive working conditions are associated with an increase in anxiety symptoms (ß = .8, p = .000). For female agricultural workers, daily hassles and stressors were associated with both depression (ß = 1.5, p = .000) and anxiety (ß = .5, p = .027), and barriers to exit (ß = 3.0, p = .005) and security stressors (ß = .9, p = .010) were significantly associated with increased depression symptoms. In the factory subsample, sexual assault and abuse (depression: ß = 2.7, p = .009; anxiety: ß = 2.8, p = .002) and daily hassles and stressors (depression: ß = .7, p = .007; anxiety: ß = .7, p = .001) were both significantly associated with increased depression and anxiety symptoms for males. Other categories of stressors similarly showed different associations with mental health outcomes between occupational groups, and between male and female migrant workers. CONCLUSION: The differing influences of stressors on mental health between the three occupational groups, and between males and females, indicate the need for targeted and tailored approaches to reduce specific stressors and improve services to address mental health needs. Prevention and response need to recognize the differences in working conditions, vulnerabilities, and needs between occupational groups, and between male and female migrant workers.