310 Specialized care utilization among Syrian refugees and the general Norwegian population: a registry-based cohort study

Abstract OP 30: Refugees and Asylum Seekers 5, B308 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 16:00 - 17:12 Aims This study examined specialized mental healthcare utilization among Syrian refugees resettled in Norway compared to the general Norwegian population. We focused on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mood disorders, and anxiety and fear-related disorders (AFRD), and further investigated sociodemographic and time-related factors associated with service use among refugees. Methods We conducted a nationwide, longitudinal cohort study using Norwegian healthcare registry data. The refugee cohort included all adult Syrian refugees granted residency between 2015-2017 (n≈10,000), and the comparison cohort comprised 10,000 randomly sampled adults from the Norwegian population. Outcomes were any use and frequency of outpatient or inpatient specialized mental healthcare visits for PTSD, mood disorders, or AFRD during the first three years after residency. Analyses applied two-part hurdle and mixed-effects models, adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, income, and residential area. Results Syrian refugees had higher crude odds of outpatient PTSD care compared to Norwegians, but adjusted analyses showed no significant differences. Refugees had significantly lower odds of utilizing care for mood disorders (aOR 0.31, 95% CI 0.22–0.43) and AFRD (aOR 0.52, 95% CI 0.38–0.70). Among refugees, the likelihood of using services increased over time, with markedly higher odds in Year 3 versus Year 1 for PTSD (aOR 3.84, 95% CI 2.13–6.92), mood disorders (aOR 2.79, 95% CI 1.57–5.01), and AFRD (aOR 2.83, 95% CI 1.80–4.44). Being partnered was associated with lower odds of specialized care use across all categories, while older age was linked with greater utilization. Conclusions Syrian refugees in Norway used specialized care for PTSD at rates comparable to the general population but underutilized services for mood and AFRD diagnoses. Utilization increased with time since residency, highlighting delayed access or help-seeking. Findings underscore the need for early, targeted interventions and policies to reduce barriers to specialized mental healthcare among resettled refugees. Keywords Specialized healthcare utilization, Refugee health, Healthcare disparities