Immigrant and ethnic minority patients` experiences in psychiatric care and substance abuse treatment – a scoping review

Abstract Background There is little evidence on experiences in psychiatric care and substance abuse treatment among patients with immigrant or ethnic minority background. Knowledge about their experiences is crucial in the development of equal and high-quality services and is needed to validate instruments applied in national patient experience surveys in Norway. The aim of this scoping review is to assess and summarize current evidence on immigrant and ethnic minorities` experiences in psychiatric care and substance abuse treatment in Europe. Methods We followed guidelines from the Joanna Briggs Institute and adhered to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews. Search was carried out in Medline, Cinahl, Web of Science, Cochrane database of systematic reviews, Embase, and APA PsychInfo, up to Dec 2022. All articles were screened and extracted by two researchers and evidence summarized in tables and text. Results We included eight studies in the scoping review, all focusing on mental health care and one in addition on substance abuse treatment. Immigrant and ethnic minority background patients did differ from the general population in quantitative satisfaction questionnaires. However, qualitative studies showed that they experience a lack of understanding and respect of own culture and related needs, and difficulties in communication, which do not seem to be captured in questionnaire-based studies. Conclusion Raising awareness about the importance of respect and understanding for patients` cultural background and communication needs for treatment satisfaction should be addressed in future quality improvement work.