Mental health difficulties and suicidal behaviours among young migrants: multicentre study of European adolescents

Abstract

BackgroundMigration has been reported to be associated with higher prevalence of mental disorders and suicidal behaviour.AimsTo examine the prevalence of emotional and behavioural difficulties, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among migrant adolescents and their non-migrant peers.MethodA school-based survey was completed by 11 057 European adolescents as part of the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) study.ResultsA previous suicide attempt was reported by 386 (3.6%) adolescents. Compared with non-migrants, first-generation migrants had an elevated prevalence of suicide attempts (odds ratio (OR) 2.08; 95% CI 1.32–3.26; P=0.001 for European migrants and OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.06–3.27; P=0.031 for non-European migrants) and significantly higher levels of peer difficulties. Highest levels of conduct and hyperactivity problems were found among migrants of non-European origin.ConclusionsAppropriate mental health services and school-based supports are required to meet the complex needs of migrant adolescents.Declaration of interestNone.Copyright and usage© The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license.

Mental Health Problems Among Adolescents in Sweden from 1995 to 2011: The Role of Immigrant Status and the Proportions of Immigrant Adolescents in Their Surrounding Community

“…These indeed are relevant to the current study as most immigrants in Sweden consist of refugees, asylum seekers, and/or unskilled labor workers [5]. We suggest that other European studies indicating poorer mental health among immigrant adolescents compared to native peers e.g., [4,[6][7][8] may share this underlying reason to some degree.…”

“…Indeed, this was the case in, for example, Norway, Spain and Italy [4,6,7]. A recent study conducted in ten European countries also reported more mental health problems among immigrant adolescents than their native peers [8].…”

Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors in Child and Adolescent Health, 1990 to 2017

“…The large and growing burden of mental health and substance use disorders among older children and adolescents also is an emerging threat to the thrive component of the SDG survive and thrive agenda. While the psychological needs of children and adolescents show similarities across geographical settings, 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 comparatively little is understood about modifiable risk factors or effective prevention programs for childhood mental illness, outside of ensuring that caregivers are attuned to the link between mental health disorders and self-harm. 28 , 29 Injuries in general continue to be a major cause of early mortality and long-term disability among older children and adolescents in all countries.…”

Verbal and Non-Verbal Aggression in a Swiss University Emergency Room: A Descriptive Study

“…These include patient-related risk factors, such as social, economic and cultural factors, male gender, alcohol intoxication, substance abuse, mental disorder, and language barrier that leads to frustration [ 20 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. These factors are often found in migrants, especially those who originate from low- and middle-income countries [ 25 ]. With these reasons and the recent increase of patients with migratory backgrounds seeking ED assistance, as well as previous reports indicating that migrants are prone to be at higher risk for aggressive behavior [ 26 ], the aim of this study was to define the incidence of and characterize cases of WPV that were reported at the ED of a Swiss university hospital.…”