Demand for Psychiatric Emergency Services and Immigration. Findings in a Spanish Hospital During the Year 2003

This study investigated differences among immigrants & natives regarding access & pathways to psychiatric care in a Spanish hospital, psychiatric admission rates, length of stay, continuity of care, & main diagnoses. Immigrants accounted for 13.0% of consultations to the psychiatric emergency room & 11.0% of admissions to the psychiatric hospitalization unit. Immigrants more often sought emergency psychiatric care for suicide attempts than did the native-born population. However, overall, immigrants under-used psychiatric emergency & hospitalization services when compared to the native-born population. (12 refs.)