What is it about?
Immigrants and people who have a non-English language preference face unique challenges in receiving mental health care. In reviewing the literature, we found differences in care in many aspects of mental healthcare delivery for these two groups, ranging from involuntary treatment rates to symptom management. More research using standardized quality measures is needed to better characterize this difference in care.
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Why is it important?
Our work highlights critical gaps in understanding the quality of mental health care for immigrants and those with non-English language preferences. This is timely as these populations are growing globally, and addressing disparities can improve care delivery. By identifying the need for standardized measures, we pave the way for future research to better define and reduce these differences in care.
Perspectives
Writing this article was a meaningful experience as it allowed me to address a topic I am deeply passionate about—improving mental healthcare for populations disproportionately affected by the social drivers of health. I hope this work inspires others to explore how language and cultural differences impact care. More importantly, I hope it sparks a dialog on developing solutions that make mental health care more equitable and effective for all.
Sorabh Singhal
University of Colorado
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Quality of Psychiatric Care for Immigrants and People With a Non-English Language Preference: A Systematic Scoping Review, Psychiatric Services, April 2025, American Psychiatric Association,
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ps.20240227.
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