Nervenheilkunde
Volume 26, Issue 6, 2007, Pages 487-491

Migration and suicidal behaviour - Towards an understanding of suicidality in immigrants: Change of culture, migration process and therapeutic implications [Migration und suizidalität - Zum verständnis suizidaler krisen bei migranten: Kulturwandel, migrationsprozess und therapeutische implikationen] (Article)

Calliess I.T.* , Machleidt W. , Ziegenbein M. , Haltenhof H.
  • a Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abteilung Sozialpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Germany, Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abt. Sozialpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany
  • b Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abteilung Sozialpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Germany
  • c Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abteilung Sozialpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Germany
  • d Vogtland Helios-Klinikum Plauen, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Germany

Abstract

The assessment of the level of psychic functioning and the capability of self-control in patients of different ethnic origin is a challenge. Suicidal behaviour in terms of its frequency, meaning, and manner is very much dependent on the cultural context in which it occurs. There is a (not undisputed) relation between the degree of difference between the home and host cultures and the suicide rates. Suicide attempts in immigrants may represent a hazardous attempt to solve underlying cross-cultural conflicts. The process of migration itself shows a typical course with definable phases. In the phase of decompensation emotional vulnerability is high, which is why cross-cultural conflicts are usually particularly prominent. Therefore, in this stage of the migration process the risk for suicidal behaviour is increased. For effective therapeutic crisis interventions, it is consequently necessary to be aware not only of the model and the structure of the migration process including its psychodynamics, but also to differentiate between the attitudes towards suicide in the two separate cultures. Furthermore, the need of migrants for social support systems, in particular the family, has to be considered as equal in importance as the utilization of culture-specific resource strategies. © 2007 Schattauer GmbH.

Author Keywords

Change of culture Migration Suicidal behaviour Theory of acculturative stress

Index Keywords

crisis intervention hazard ratio hazard assessment social support psychodynamics Article Family Therapy suicidal behavior mental instability human mortality suicide attempt
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-34347357595&partnerID=40&md5=8b728e6681dc91c8454bcaa62259c4d3
ISSN: 07221541
Cited by: 2
Original Language: German