Section 4 - Management, services and training

Summary

A significant number of people, irrespective of their symptoms, will seek help from within their social, personal and folk sectors. This chapter highlights some of the factors at play which influence where and how people seek help. Migrant status and ethnicity are often linked with inequalities in levels of mental health and the accessibility or quality of the services provided. The two major issues in this field are the nature and prevalence of mental illnesses among migrants and ethnic minorities (MEMs), and the challenge of providing appropriate and accessible mental health services for these groups. The chapter focuses on industrialised countries, where the health of MEMs has received increasing attention over the past half century, and explores the provision of appropriate services, i.e. the matching of services to the needs of users. The chapter examines the accessibility of services, and their quality.