Mental health care for irregular migrants in Europe: Barriers and how they are overcome
(2012) BMC Public Health — Vol. 12, n° 1, p. 367- (2012)
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- Abstract
- BACKGROUND:Irregular migrants (IMs) are exposed to a wide range of risk factors for developing mental health problems. However, little is known about whether and how they receive mental health care across European countries. The aims of this study were (1) to identify barriers to mental health care for IMs, and (2) to explore ways by which these barriers are overcome in practice. METHODS:Data from semi-structured interviews with 25 experts in the field of mental health care for IMs in the capital cities of 14 European countries were analysed using thematic analysis.RESULTS:Experts reported a range of barriers to mental health care for IMs. These include the absence of legal entitlements to health care in some countries or a lack of awareness of such entitlements, administrative obstacles, a shortage of culturally sensitive care, the complexity of the social needs of IMs, and their fear of being reported and deported. These barriers can be partly overcome by networks of committed professionals and supportive services. NGOs have become important initial points of contact for IMs, providing mental health care themselves or referring IMs to other suitable services. However, these services are often confronted with the ethical dilemma of either acting according to the legislation and institutional rules or providing care for humanitarian reasons, which involves the risk of acting illegally and providing care without authorisation. CONCLUSIONS:Even in countries where access to health care is legally possible for IMs, various other barriers remain. Some of these are common to all migrants, whilst others are specific for IMs. Attempts at improving mental health care for IMs should consider barriers beyond legal entitlement, including communicating information about entitlement to mental health care professionals and patients, providing culturally sensitive care and ensuring sufficient resources.
- Affiliations
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Social Psychiatry, Vienna, Austria Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Social Psychiatry Queen Mary University of London, London, UK Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry University of Porto Medical School, Porto, Portugal Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Health Promotion Research Centre Madrid Salud, Madrid, Spain Madrid Salud National Institute for Health Development, Budapest, Hungary National Institute for Health Development Public Health Agency, Lazio Region, Rome, Italy Laziosanita` ASP Etablissement public de sante´ Maison Blanche, Paris, France Laboratoire de recherche, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic Department of Psychiatry, 1st Faculty of Medicine University Medicine Berlin, CCM, Berlin, Germany Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charite Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Academic Medical Center Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden Department of Public Health Sciences
Citations
Strassmayr, C., Matanov, A., Priebe, S., Barros, H., Canavan, R., Diaz-Olalla, J., Gabor, E., Gaddini, A., Greacen, T., Holcnerova, P., Kluge, U., Welbel, M., Nicaise, P., Schene, A., Soares, J., & Katschnig, H. (2012). Mental health care for irregular migrants in Europe: Barriers and how they are overcome. BMC Public Health, 12(1), 367-. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-367 (Original work published 2012)