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Language proficiency and mental disorders among migrants: A systematic review
C Montemitro1, G D'Andrea2, F Cesa2
1Department of Neuroscience Imaging and Clinical Science, "G. d'Annunzio" University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
Summary
Low language proficiency (LP) in migrants is linked to higher rates and severity of mental health disorders. Improving LP may positively impact migrant mental well-being.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Migration Studies
- Public Health
Background:
- Migrants often face unique mental health challenges.
- The role of language proficiency (LP) in migrant mental health is not fully understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the association between language proficiency and the prevalence/severity of mental disorders in migrants.
- To explore how sociodemographic and migration factors influence this association.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of studies from MEDLINE, PsycArticles, EMBASE, and PsycInfo databases (searched April 2020).
- Inclusion of original studies reporting psychiatric symptoms/disorders in migrants and considering linguistic factors.
- Analysis of 41 selected studies from an initial 1,944 citations.
Main Results:
- A significant negative association between low language proficiency and mental disorder prevalence/severity was reported in 35 of 41 studies.
- Inadequate LP was linked to psychotic, mood, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorders.
- Longitudinal studies indicated that improved LP over time positively affected mental disorder prevalence or symptom severity.
Conclusions:
- Inadequate language proficiency is consistently associated with increased mental health issues in migrant populations.
- Improving migrants' language proficiency upon arrival may be a beneficial public health intervention.
- Further prospective research is recommended to solidify these findings.
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