Opening Up Mental Health Service Delivery to Cultural Diversity: Current Situation, Development and Examples from Three Northern European Countries

TY - JOUR

T1 - Opening Up Mental Health Service Delivery to Cultural Diversity: Current Situation, Development and Examples from Three Northern European Countries

AU - Bäärnhielm, Sofie

AU - Jávo, Cecilie

AU - Mösko, Mike-Oliver

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - There are inequalities in health among migrants and local populations in Europe. Due to migration, Germany, Norway and Sweden have become highly culturally diverse nations. There are barriers to mental health care access for refugees, migrants and minorities, and problems with quality of culturallysensitive care in the three countries. This is despite tax-funded health care systems based on equity in service provision. There is a need to develop culturally sensitive mental health services that respond to the increasing diversity of the populations. In this chapter, we will take a closer look atcultural diversity in the countries in question, discuss challenges and give examples of current work to open up mental health services to cultural diversity. The German example will focus on the movement of interkulturelle Öffnung (cross-cultural opening of the health care system) and work on creatingnational guidelines and quality standards. From Norway, the work of the National Centre for Mental Health for the indigenous Sámi population will be presented. The Swedish example will focus on the work carried out by the Transcultural Centre. The latter is a competence centre supportingdevelopment of culturally sensitive care as an integrated part of the regional health and mental health care system in Stockholm. Finally, the relevance of mental health care for a culturally diverse population, as a part of the larger social project of building tolerant multicultural societies, will be discussed.

AB - There are inequalities in health among migrants and local populations in Europe. Due to migration, Germany, Norway and Sweden have become highly culturally diverse nations. There are barriers to mental health care access for refugees, migrants and minorities, and problems with quality of culturallysensitive care in the three countries. This is despite tax-funded health care systems based on equity in service provision. There is a need to develop culturally sensitive mental health services that respond to the increasing diversity of the populations. In this chapter, we will take a closer look atcultural diversity in the countries in question, discuss challenges and give examples of current work to open up mental health services to cultural diversity. The German example will focus on the movement of interkulturelle Öffnung (cross-cultural opening of the health care system) and work on creatingnational guidelines and quality standards. From Norway, the work of the National Centre for Mental Health for the indigenous Sámi population will be presented. The Swedish example will focus on the work carried out by the Transcultural Centre. The latter is a competence centre supportingdevelopment of culturally sensitive care as an integrated part of the regional health and mental health care system in Stockholm. Finally, the relevance of mental health care for a culturally diverse population, as a part of the larger social project of building tolerant multicultural societies, will be discussed.

U2 - 10.1159/000348730

DO - 10.1159/000348730

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

VL - 33

SP - 40

EP - 55

ER -