European Journal of Public Health
Volume 16, Issue 4, 2006, Pages 383-387

Demand for psychiatric emergency services and immigration. Findings in a Spanish hospital during the year 2003 (Article) (Open Access)

Perez-Rodriguez M.M. , Baca-Garcia E.* , Quintero-Gutierrez F.J. , Gonzalez G. , Saiz-Gonzalez D. , Botillo C. , Basurte-Villamor I. , Sevilla J. , Gonzalez De Rivera J.L.
  • a Department of Psychiatry, Ramon Y Cajal University Hospital, Madrid, Spain
  • b Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, Servicio de Psiquiatría, Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Ave. de los Reyes Católicos 2, Madrid 28040, Spain
  • c Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • d Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • e Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • f Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • g Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • h Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
  • i Department of Psychiatry, Fundacion Jimenez Diaz University Hospital, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate differences among immigrants and natives regarding access and pathways to psychiatric care, psychiatric admission rates, length of stay, continuity of care, and main diagnoses. Methods: Psychiatric emergency visits (1511) and hospitalizations (410) were registered in a Spanish Hospital with a catchment area of 280 000 people (19.3% immigrants) during the year 2003. Motives for demanding emergency psychiatric care, pathways to care, admission rates, length of stay, continuity of care, and main diagnoses were compared among natives and immigrants. Results: Immigrants accounted for 13.0% of consultations to the psychiatric emergency room (15.9% of patients) and 11.0% of admissions to the psychiatric hospitalization unit (13.5% of patients). The pathways to care were different for immigrants and natives. Immigrants had a lower rate of readmission to the psychiatric emergency room. Motives for consultation and hospitalization were also different among immigrants and natives. Immigrants showed more self-aggressive behaviours and neuroses, and lower rates of affective disorders and psychoses. Conclusions: Immigrants under-used psychiatric emergency and hospitalization services in comparison with natives. They did not consult because of psychoses or affective disorders, but mainly because of reactive conditions related to the stress of migration. © The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

Continuity of care Hospital Ethnicity Pathway to care Psychiatric care Immigration

Index Keywords

hospital admission hospitalization Statistics, Nonparametric immigration human controlled study priority journal length of stay emergency ward Health Services Needs and Demand Humans Aggression consultation male Spain female Continuity of Patient Care Article major clinical study adult emergency care emergency health service Patient Admission hospital Transients and Migrants Emergency Services, Psychiatric
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-33748155276&doi=10.1093%2feurpub%2fckl021&partnerID=40&md5=28161e24adcd5cdda6596d02fbe7be5c
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckl021
ISSN: 11011262
Cited by: 22
Original Language: English