Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology
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Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyUse of general practitioners versus mental health professionals in six European countries: the decisive role of the organization of mental health-care systems.
To investigate patterns of use of general practitioners (GPs) and/or mental health professionals (MHPs) for mental health reasons, across six European countries, and the extent to which these patterns of use are associated with differences in mental health-care delivering systems. ⋯ Differences in the use of GPs versus MHPs are markedly linked to individual as well as organizational factors. Interventions are needed, in countries fostering medical access, to reimburse sessions with non-medical MHPs and improve cooperation between professionals to obtain better practice in access to care.
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Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol · Jan 2013
Experiences with treating immigrants: a qualitative study in mental health services across 16 European countries.
While there has been systematic research on the experiences of immigrant patients in mental health services within certain European countries, little research has explored the experiences of mental health professionals in the delivery of services to immigrants across Europe. This study sought to explore professionals' experiences of delivering care to immigrants in districts densely populated with immigrants across Europe. ⋯ Although mental health service delivery varies between and within European countries, consistent challenges exist in the experiences of mental health professionals delivering services in communities with high proportions of immigrants. Improvements to practice should include training in reaching appropriate diagnoses, a focus on building trusting relationships and measures to counter marginalisation.