Policy paper of the Committee on Ethics and Task Force on Migration and Mental Health: Migration and mental health of migrants, refugees, asylum seekers – Ethical dilemmas and concerns

TL;DR

This policy paper addresses the mental health challenges faced by migrants and refugees, highlighting ethical issues and advocating for better access to care.

Contribution

The paper outlines ethical dilemmas in migration-related mental health care and proposes strategies for equitable psychiatric service access.

Findings

Forced migration is linked to a higher burden of mental health disorders due to displacement and trauma.

Barriers like language, culture, and resource shortages hinder effective mental health care for migrants.

Ethical principles in refugee care are inconsistently applied across European countries.

Abstract

International migration is a complex phenomenon of global and historical relevance. It includes voluntary, forced, and workforce migration, shaped by diverse determinants. Push factors comprise war, persecution, and political instability, while pull factors include stability, economic opportunities, education, and favorable living conditions. Forced migration is frequently associated with displacement and a disproportionate burden of mental health disorders, which are urgent yet difficult to address due to structural, cultural, and legal barriers.

Evidence demonstrates that restricted health care access exacerbates psychiatric disorders, while treatment delays contribute to poorer outcomes. Barriers include administrative limitations, linguistic and cultural differences, stigma, and resource shortages. This policy paper was developed by the Committee on Ethics and the Task Force on Migration and Mental Health of the European Psychiatric Association (EPA). Relevant literature was reviewed and combined with the professional expertise of committee members. The draft was subsequently evaluated by the Publication Committee and the EPA Board, and revised accordingly.

Ethical principles in refugee care are insufficiently implemented in many European countries. Core principles of medical ethics – beneficence, respect for autonomy, non-maleficence, and justice – as well as the obligation to advance psychiatric standards and apply psychiatric expertise for societal benefit, are inconsistently upheld.

The primary duty of physicians is to promote health and well-being through competent, timely, and compassionate care. The EPA therefore advocates coordinated strategies to mitigate the mental health consequences of war, displacement, and trauma, and to secure equitable access to psychiatric services for migrants and refugees.