The WPA is committed to promote equity in the access
to mental health services for persons of different age, gender,
race/ethnicity, religion and socioeconomic status. As
part of this commitment, the Association decided to devote
one of the guidances to be developed within its Action
Plan 2008-2011 (1,2) to mental health and mental
health care in migrants. A Task Force was appointed for
this purpose, which produced the present document.
Mental health practitioners work in an increasingly
multicultural world, shaped by the migrations of people of
many different cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds.
People migrate for many reasons: political, socioeconomic
and educational. The diversity of cultures, ethnicity, races
and reasons for migration can make understanding experiences
of illness challenging in migrants whose background
differs significantly from the clinician.
Culture has an important role in the presentation of
distress and illness, and cultural differences impact upon
the diagnosis and treatment of migrant populations in
part due to linguistic, religious and social variation from
the clinician providing care. Additionally, it appears that
the incidence and prevalence of mental disorders varies
among people of different cultural backgrounds, due to an
interplay of biological, psychological and social factors.
The provision of health care is necessarily influenced by
the demands of people of many different cultures, and it
is important that cultural differences be appreciated and
understood to arrive at a correct diagnostic impression
and treatment plan
