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Experiences with treating immigrants: a qualitative study in mental health services across 16 European countries

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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

While there has been systematic research on the experiences of immigrant patients in mental health services within certain European countries, little research has explored the experiences of mental health professionals in the delivery of services to immigrants across Europe. This study sought to explore professionals’ experiences of delivering care to immigrants in districts densely populated with immigrants across Europe.

Methods

Forty-eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with mental health care professionals working in 16 European countries. Professionals in each country were recruited from three areas with the highest proportion of immigrants. For the purpose of this study, immigrants were defined as first-generation immigrants born outside the country of current residence, including regular immigrants, irregular immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees and victims of human trafficking. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.

Results

The interviews highlighted specific challenges to treating immigrants in mental health services across all 16 countries including complications with diagnosis, difficulty in developing trust and increased risk of marginalisation.

Conclusions

Although mental health service delivery varies between and within European countries, consistent challenges exist in the experiences of mental health professionals delivering services in communities with high proportions of immigrants. Improvements to practice should include training in reaching appropriate diagnoses, a focus on building trusting relationships and measures to counter marginalisation.

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Acknowledgments

This study is a part of the EUGATE project funded by the General Directorate of Health and Consumer Protection of the European Union (DG-SANCO). More information on the website: http://www.eugate.org.uk. All authors would like to acknowledge the entire EUGATE research team for their contributions to data collection and management. They also acknowledge the 48 participants for giving their time and for their willingness to share their experiences.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Newham Centre for Mental Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, E13 8SP, UK

    Sima Sandhu, Neele V. Bjerre & Stefan Priebe

  2. Institute of Health and Society, Université catholique de Louvain, Clos Chapelle aux Champs 30.B1. 3015, 1200, Brussels, Belgium

    Marie Dauvrin

  3. Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Rua da Junqueira, 96, 1349-008, Lisbon, Portugal

    Sónia Dias

  4. Public Health Agency for the Lazio Region, Via S. Costanza 53, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Andrea Gaddini

  5. Etablissement public de santé Maison Blanche, 18 rue Rémy de Gourmont, 75019, Paris, France

    Tim Greacen

  6. Department of Sociology, National School of Public Health, 196 Alexandras avenue, 11521, Athens, Greece

    Elisabeth Ioannidis

  7. Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, CCM, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Ulrike Kluge

  8. Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health (MESU), Section for Health Services Research, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1014, Copenhagen K, Denmark

    Natasja K. Jensen

  9. Academic Medical Centre, Department of Public Health, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1100, DE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Majda Lamkaddem

  10. Agency of Public Health of Barcelona, Pça. Lesseps, 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain

    Rosa Puigpinós i Riera

  11. Faculty of Health, University of Debrecen, Sóstói ú. 2-4, Nyíregyháza, 4400, Hungary

    Zsigmond Kósa

  12. Department of Public Health Sciences, Section for Social Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Norrbacka, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden

    Ulla Wihlman

  13. Department of Health Management, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, A. Mickevičiaus g. 9, LT 44307, Kaunas, Lithuania

    Mindaugas Stankunas

  14. School of Public Health, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Southport, QLD, 4222, Australia

    Mindaugas Stankunas

  15. Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Social Psychiatry, Lazarettgasse 14A-912, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Christa Straßmayr

  16. Department for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), P.O.B. 30, FIN-00271, Helsinki, Finland

    Kristian Wahlbeck

  17. Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Ul. Sobieskiego 9, 02-957, Warsaw, Poland

    Marta Welbel

Authors
  1. Sima Sandhu
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  2. Neele V. Bjerre
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  3. Marie Dauvrin
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  4. Sónia Dias
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  5. Andrea Gaddini
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  6. Tim Greacen
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  7. Elisabeth Ioannidis
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  8. Ulrike Kluge
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  9. Natasja K. Jensen
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  10. Majda Lamkaddem
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  11. Rosa Puigpinós i Riera
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  12. Zsigmond Kósa
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  13. Ulla Wihlman
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  14. Mindaugas Stankunas
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  15. Christa Straßmayr
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  16. Kristian Wahlbeck
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  17. Marta Welbel
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  18. Stefan Priebe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sima Sandhu.

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Sandhu, S., Bjerre, N.V., Dauvrin, M. et al. Experiences with treating immigrants: a qualitative study in mental health services across 16 European countries. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 48, 105–116 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0528-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-012-0528-3

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