OBJECTIVES: to figure out if there are differences in access to psychiatric services between Italian and immigrant paediatric populations. DESIGN: we analysed the data of the year 2012 from the Banca dati del disagio psichico, a database on psychological distress created by the Epidemiological Unit of the Local Health Unit Milan 1 (Lombardy, Northern Italy). The database is based on a data warehouse system that integrates health and social data, and gives the opportunity to calculate the prevalence rates of the main clusters of psychiatric diseases according to ICD-10 categories. SETTINGAND PARTICIPANTS: the sample includes 162,197 residents younger than 18 years (minors), divided into 4 subgroups depending on the place of birth (Italy or abroad) and citizenship (Italian or foreign). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: we calculated the standardised treated prevalence of the 11 clusters of mental diseases in the 4 subgroups and evaluated the Standardised Prevalence Ratio (SPR) and their confidence intervals using as reference the Italian paediatric population with Italian citizenship. RESULTS: in 2012, 7.2% minors were diagnosed a mental illness or accessed mental health services or were prescribed psychotropic medicines. We found the lowest SPRs of psychiatric illnesses in immigrants (0.91 born in Italy; 0.74 born abroad) and the higher in Italians born in foreign Countries (1.34). In particular, migrant minors born in Italy have lower SPR of developmental disorders (0.84) and behaviour and emotional disorders (0.68), but higher SPR of mental retardation (1.52) and anxiety disorders (1.36). Migrant minors born abroad have lower SPR of developmental disorders (0.52), but higher rates of mental retardation (1.30). Italians born in foreign Countries show a SPR for personality disorders and mental retardation of 4.86 and 2.02, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: immigrant minors have a lower prevalence of psychiatric diseases than Italian minors; however, Italians born in foreign Countries show a higher prevalence of psychiatric disorders.

Mental health Access to services Minors immigrants

information processing mental health service human statistics and numerical data Stress, Psychological mental stress comparative study Mental Health Services Mental Disorders Humans migrant Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants female prevalence Italy Data Collection Child