The treatment needs of migrant children according to child and adolescent psychiatrists from medical clinics and in private practice

Abstract

How does the German child and adolescent psychiatry system respond to the increasing number of migrant children and adolescents? Senior doctors from German child and adolescent psychiatric hospitals (Association of Medical Hospital Directors in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy in Germany, BAG) completed a specially constructed questionnaire about the treatment needs of migrant children, while a «random, representative» sample of child and adolescent psychiatrists in private practice (German Professional Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, BKJPP) was administered a slightly modified version. The 100 psychiatrists in private practice represented only about one-eighth of their group, whereas the 55 medical directors comprised a representative sample. One-third of the hospitals has treatments tailored to the specific needs of migrants. In both settings, however, competent interpreters were rarely found, despite the treatment problems arising from the understanding the illness by the parents, language problems, and the clinical knowledge of the patient. Cultural diversity is perceived as enriching. The migration background and the sex of child and adolescent psychiatrists influence the treatment of migrants. Facilitating the process of «cultural opening» in child and adolescent psychiatry involves enacting concrete steps, such as the funding of interpreter costs.