Immigration and Mental Health in Southern Spain

Abstract

Introduction

The migration experience is a complex process that involves a break with the society of origin and an adaptation in the host society. This process involves cognitive and emotional aspects, both conscious and unconscious, of individuals. All of that with the culture and ethnicity influence the mental health of this population.

Aims

To observe and describe what these population groups require of mental health care.

Methods

Collect data (sex, age, place of origin, work activity, diagnosis, treatment) of immigrant patients referred from Primary Care or Specialty Care Hospital to the Community Mental Health Unit of the North of Granada from 2010 to 2013.

Results

We identified differences between immigrant patients and the remaining patients: younger age (“working-age”), with unskilled labor activity or unemployed, higher prevalence of affective pathology major discontinuity and treatment dropout.

Conclusions

In these groups the prevalence of mental illness is similar to the rest of the population, however, they have limited access to medical services that may be related to increased frequency of disability, social cost and human suffering.

We should pay special attention to these ethnic minorities for a better care and monitoring of mental disorders.