Migrants referring to the Bologna Transcultural Psychiatric Team: reasons for drop-out.
BACKGROUND
Recent immigrants face various difficulties in adjusting to western countries and show a high prevalence of mental disorders. Access to a culturally appropriate community mental health centre (CMHC) is crucial for immigrants (Bhui et al., 2007). The Bologna West Transcultural Psychiatric Team (BoTPT, Tarricone et al., 2009) is one of the first projects in Italy that prioritizes cultural competence care. This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of this service and to describe what characteristics of patient and psychiatric intervention are related to 'drop-out'.


METHODS
All migrants who consecutively attended the BoTPT between 1 July 1999 and 30 June 2008 were included and evaluated at first contact and again six months later.


RESULTS
After six months we followed up 162 patients; 32 (17.9%) of these had interrupted treatment. Non-Asian origin, a recent history of migration and not receiving social intervention were the strongest predictors of drop-out cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychiatric consultation services to migrants could be made more effective by enhancing: (a) cultural competence, through cultural mediator involvement; and (b) social support from the first psychiatric contact. These two characteristics of psychiatric consultation could be developed from resources ordinarily present in the context of a CMHC and could then become a cost-effective strategy for addressing mental health needs among first-generation immigrants.
Tarricone
Ilaria
I
Institute of Psychiatry, Bologna University, Italy. ilaria.tarricone@unibo.it
Atti
Anna Rita
AR
Braca
Mauro
M
Pompei
Graziano
G
Morri
Michela
M
Poggi
Francesca
F
Melega
Saverio
S
Stivanello
Elisa
E
Tonti
Lorenza
L
Nolet
Maria
M
Berardi
Domenico
D
D000328:Adult; D054521:Cultural Competency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012944:Social Support; D012949:Social Work, Psychiatric; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult