Hospitalization trends among immigrants and natives in an acute psychiatric service: a descriptive study from Italy

Acute psychiatric services are crucial for immigrants who face barriers in accessing outpatient mental healthcare due to socio-economic, cultural, and linguistic challenges. This study compared psychiatric hospitalization characteristics between immigrants and native Italians at the University of Foggia from 2004 to 2019. A total of 536 inpatients, equally divided between immigrants and natives, were analysed for sociodemographic and clinical variables. Findings revealed that immigrants were hospitalized through emergency departments for severe psychiatric disorders such as psychosis, while natives were more often admitted for mood disorders. Immigrants showed a higher incidence of substance abuse and suicidal attempts and a lower number of prior hospitalizations compared to natives, with higher incidence of first episodes of mental illness. Despite presenting with severe psychopathology, natives exhibited better clinical outcomes, longer hospitalizations and higher functioning improvements. We also found that natives received more psychotropic medications but experienced fewer adverse effects compared to immigrants. Differences in pharmacological treatments and hospital outcomes suggested that culturally tailored interventions could improve the effectiveness of psychiatric care for migrants. These findings emphasized the necessity for systemic changes in mental health services to address disparities and improve care for migrant populations.