Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 17, Issue 6, 2014, Pages 1715-1722

Differences in Psychopathology Between Immigrant and Native Adolescents Admitted to a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit (Article)

Blázquez A.* , Castro-Fornieles J. , Baeza I. , Morer A. , Martínez E. , Lázaro L.
  • a Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic Universitari, C/Villarroel nº170, Barcelona, 08036, Spain
  • b Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic Universitari, C/Villarroel nº170, Barcelona, 08036, Spain, IDIBAPS (Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), Barcelona, Spain, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
  • c Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic Universitari, C/Villarroel nº170, Barcelona, 08036, Spain, IDIBAPS (Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), Barcelona, Spain, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • d Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic Universitari, C/Villarroel nº170, Barcelona, 08036, Spain, IDIBAPS (Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), Barcelona, Spain, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
  • e Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic Universitari, C/Villarroel nº170, Barcelona, 08036, Spain
  • f Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clínic Universitari, C/Villarroel nº170, Barcelona, 08036, Spain, IDIBAPS (Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer), Barcelona, Spain, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain

Abstract

It has been postulated that immigrant children are at increased risk of mental health problems. This study examined differences in psychopathology between immigrant and non-immigrant adolescents admitted for the first time to a child and adolescent inpatient psychiatry unit. Participants were 234 adolescents (191 non-immigrants and 43 immigrants). There were significant differences between the two groups in relation to certain stressors: parental separation, family breakdown, being under state custody, physical and/or psychological maltreatment and sexual abuse. Differences between the main diagnoses of the two groups were found in relation to schizophrenia and anorexia nervosa. There are differences between immigrants and natives in terms of diagnosis, and these differences are influenced by ethnicity and stressors. Future studies should seek to identify protective factors in order to prevent mental health disorders in the immigrant population. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.

Author Keywords

Immigration risk factors Mental health Acculturation Adolescents

Index Keywords

Psychiatric Department, Hospital human epidemiology sex difference Ethnic Groups statistics and numerical data Stress, Psychological mental stress ethnic group Psychopathology ethnology Mental Disorders mental disease Humans migrant psychology Adolescent male Emigrants and Immigrants Spain female Socioeconomic Factors socioeconomics Family Relations Retrospective Studies Child Abuse family relation age Sex Factors Age Factors retrospective study psychiatric department
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84946480736&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-014-0143-3&partnerID=40&md5=5529da39a034791c78d72803dc277dea
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-014-0143-3
ISSN: 15571912
Original Language: English