title: Determinants of Suicidality and of Treatment Modalities in a Community Psychiatry Sample of Asylum Seekers.
abstract: A high prevalence of mental illness has been reported in asylum seekers. The present cross-sectional study examined suicidal thoughts, treatment modalities (outpatient crisis intervention, inpatient care), and their determinants in asylum seekers (n = 119) and permanent residents (n = 120) attending the same outpatient clinic in Geneva, Switzerland. The most frequent diagnoses were depressive disorders (64.7%) and posttraumatic stress disorder (34.5%) in asylum seekers and psychotic (55.0%) and depressive disorders (33.3%) in permanent residents. The frequency of suicidal thoughts was similar in both groups (>30%). Asylum seekers benefited from outpatient crisis intervention more frequently than residents did (26.9% vs. 5.8%), whereas inpatient care was less frequent (25.2% vs. 44.2%). In asylum seekers, acute suicidal thoughts were associated with increased frequency of outpatient crisis interventions, and, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, or personality disorders were associated with higher rates of hospitalization. Documenting clinical characteristics and service utilization of asylum seekers is a prerequisite to organizing targeted interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Natacha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Premand
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baeriswyl-Cottin
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gex-Fabry
authors.forename: Nikol
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hiller
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Framorando
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eytan
authors.forename: Panteleimon
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giannakopoulos
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bartolomei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D012036:Refugees / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013557:Switzerland; D055815:Young Adult