Mental health difficulties and suicidal behaviours among young migrants: multicentre study of European adolescents

Background Migration has been reported to be associated with higher prevalence of mental disorders and suicidal behaviour. Aims To examine the prevalence of emotional and behavioural difficulties, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among migrant adolescents and their non-migrant peers. Method A school-based survey was completed by 11 057 European adolescents as part of the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) study. Results A previous suicide attempt was reported by 386 (3.6%) adolescents. Compared with non-migrants, first-generation migrants had an elevated prevalence of suicide attempts (odds ratio (OR) 2.08; 95% CI 1.32–3.26; P =0.001 for European migrants and OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.06–3.27; P =0.031 for non-European migrants) and significantly higher levels of peer difficulties. Highest levels of conduct and hyperactivity problems were found among migrants of non-European origin. Conclusions Appropriate mental health services and school-based supports are required to meet the complex needs of migrant adolescents. Declaration of interest None. Copyright and usage © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) license.