Inequities in mental health and mental healthcare between international immigrants and locals in Chile: a narrative review
Journal
International Journal for Equity in Health
ISSN
1475-9276
Date Issued
2020
Type
Resource Types::text::journal::journal article
URL Institutional Repository
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title>
<jats:p>Mental health in a context of international migration is a particularly pressing issue, as migration is recognised as a social determinant of physical and mental health. As Chile is increasingly becoming a receiving country of South-South migration, immigrants face mental health inequities, with regards to outcomes and access to care.</jats:p>
<jats:p>In order to identify and synthetize mental healthcare inequities faced by international migrants with regards to locals in Chile, a narrative review of the literature on national mental healthcare policies in Chile and a narrative review of the literature on migrants’ mental healthcare in Chile were conducted, with a focus on describing mental health outcomes, policy environment and persisting gaps and barriers for both topics. The existing literature on mental healthcare in Chile, both for the general population and for international migrants, following the social determinant of health framework and categorised in terms of i) Inequities in mental health outcomes; ii) Description of the mental health policy environment and iii) Identification of the main barriers to access mental healthcare.</jats:p>
<jats:p>Despite incremental policy efforts to improve the reach of mental healthcare in Chile, persisting inequities are identified for both locals and international migrants: lack of funding and low prioritisation, exacerbation of social vulnerability in the context of a mixed health insurance system, and inadequacy of mental healthcare services. International migrants may experience specific layers of vulnerability linked to migration as a social determinant of health, nested in a system that exacerbates social vulnerability.</jats:p>
<jats:p>Based on the findings, the article discusses how mental health is a privilege for migrant populations as well as locals experiencing layers of social vulnerability in the Chilean context. International migrants’ access to comprehensive and culturally relevant mental healthcare in Chile and other countries is an urgent need in order to contribute to reducing social vulnerability and fostering mechanisms of social inclusion.</jats:p>
<jats:p>International migration, social determinants of mental health, mental health inequities, social vulnerability, review.</jats:p>
<jats:p>Mental health in a context of international migration is a particularly pressing issue, as migration is recognised as a social determinant of physical and mental health. As Chile is increasingly becoming a receiving country of South-South migration, immigrants face mental health inequities, with regards to outcomes and access to care.</jats:p>
<jats:p>In order to identify and synthetize mental healthcare inequities faced by international migrants with regards to locals in Chile, a narrative review of the literature on national mental healthcare policies in Chile and a narrative review of the literature on migrants’ mental healthcare in Chile were conducted, with a focus on describing mental health outcomes, policy environment and persisting gaps and barriers for both topics. The existing literature on mental healthcare in Chile, both for the general population and for international migrants, following the social determinant of health framework and categorised in terms of i) Inequities in mental health outcomes; ii) Description of the mental health policy environment and iii) Identification of the main barriers to access mental healthcare.</jats:p>
<jats:p>Despite incremental policy efforts to improve the reach of mental healthcare in Chile, persisting inequities are identified for both locals and international migrants: lack of funding and low prioritisation, exacerbation of social vulnerability in the context of a mixed health insurance system, and inadequacy of mental healthcare services. International migrants may experience specific layers of vulnerability linked to migration as a social determinant of health, nested in a system that exacerbates social vulnerability.</jats:p>
<jats:p>Based on the findings, the article discusses how mental health is a privilege for migrant populations as well as locals experiencing layers of social vulnerability in the Chilean context. International migrants’ access to comprehensive and culturally relevant mental healthcare in Chile and other countries is an urgent need in order to contribute to reducing social vulnerability and fostering mechanisms of social inclusion.</jats:p>
<jats:p>International migration, social determinants of mental health, mental health inequities, social vulnerability, review.</jats:p>
Cite this document
Blukacz, A., Cabieses, B., & Markkula, N. (2020). Inequities in mental health and mental healthcare between international immigrants and locals in Chile: A narrative review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 19(1), 197. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01312-2
Subjects
chile
;
emigrants and immigrants
;
emigration and immigration
;
health status disparities
;
healthcare disparities
;
humans
;
mental health
;
mental health services
;
chile
;
health insurance
;
health policy
;
immigrant
;
international migration
;
literature review
;
mental health
;
vulnerability
;
chile
;
funding
;
health care policy
;
health insurance
;
human
;
human experiment
;
immigrant
;
mental health service
;
narrative
;
review
;
social determinants of health
;
chile
;
health care disparity
;
health disparity
;
mental health
;
migrant
;
migration
;
psychology