B Kirkcaldy, AF Furnham, N Dogra, RG Siefen
Like many other countries, Germany has an increasing number of children who originate from migrant families. Medical facilities are required to care for people from a diverse range of social and cultural backgrounds. A study-specific questionnaire was used to ask 100 child and adolescent psychiatrists about their impressions of how well the mental health needs of the children of migrants are identified and managed by child and adolescent psychiatric practices in Germany. There was a generally positive attitude towards migrant families and their needs, with most of the respondents indicating that they enjoyed working with migrant children and adolescents and their families. However, there was a tendency to focus more on language than on other aspects of culture. Most of the respondents felt satisfied with their training in this area. Individual difference variables, such as age, gender and familiarity with migration, affected their awareness of and sensitivity to migrant family health issues.
