MENTAL HEALTH IN DOMESTICATED IMMIGRANT POPULATION – A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Background: Migration is a process during which a person moves from one cultural setting to another in order to settle for a longer period of time or permanently. The number of immigrants in the world has more than doubled since 1975, with majority of migrants living in Europe today. Migration is now being increasingly recognized as a risk factor for multiple mental-health related issues, such as schizophrenia, psychosis, anxiety disorders and others. Aim: The aim of this study was to collect, systematically review and analyze relevant articles pertaining to the mental health of second-or-higher generations of domesticated immigrant population, as well as to determine common socio-cultural predisposition factors leading to the development of mental illness among the mentioned population. Methods: Systematic search of relevant and peer-reviewed electronic database ScienceDirect was performed to identify studies related to mental health and healthcare in before-mentioned immigrant population. Study selection was performed by two independent reviewers, following the agreed specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results: 2 036 records were identified through initial database search, out of which 5 studies were included in this review, after the selection process. Conclusion: The most consistent clinical finding is an increase in the rate of diagnosis of schizophrenia and related psychoses among migrants when compared to the host population, however the relationship between migration and psychotic disorders remains unexplained. So far, biological factors, such as cannabis use or obstetric complications, have failed to account for the risk of schizophrenia among migrant groups. Socio-environmental factors are now being looked upon as potential contributing factors for psychotic disorders in migrants