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Culture, migration, Brexit, and COVID-19: managing the mental health of patients from Central and Eastern Europe

Aaron Poppleton, Caroline Saunders, Carolyn A Chew-Graham, Tom Kingstone, Adrian Chudyk and Lisa Dikomitis
British Journal of General Practice 2022; 72 (720): 308-309. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp22X719801
Aaron Poppleton
School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele.
Roles: Wellcome Trust PhD Fellow
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Caroline Saunders
School of Health Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester.
Roles: Professor of Medical Sociology
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Carolyn A Chew-Graham
School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele.
Roles: Professor of General Practice Research
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Tom Kingstone
School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele.
Roles: Lecturer in Mental Health
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Adrian Chudyk
School of Medicine, Impact Accelerator Unit, Keele University, Keele.
Roles: National Institute for Health Research Clinical Lecturer in General Practice
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Lisa Dikomitis
Kent and Medway Medical School, University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University, Canterbury.
Roles: Professor in Medical Anthropology
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The incidence of common mental health conditions and wellbeing concerns increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.1 A shift to remote access and consulting within general practice has led to fears that quality of care has decreased for many groups, particularly for migrant communities.2 Numbering over 2 million, people from Central and Eastern Europe (including Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, and other countries) constitute one of the largest foreign-born communities across the UK.3 Despite this, their health needs receive relatively little attention from the media or policymakers.

SETTING THE MENTAL HEALTH SCENE

Central and Eastern Europeans in the UK are more likely to live in inadequate housing, have physically demanding employment, lack financial security, and have limited support networks compared with UK nationals.4 Rates of common mental health conditions are disproportionately high, including anxiety, mood disorders, alcohol misuse, and suicide.5,6 Healthcare models within Central and Eastern Europe differ to the UK, including the option for direct access to specialist services through commercial providers.7 Patients’ expectations for a doctor-led consultation style, rather than shared or self-care, can lead to dissatisfaction with UK general practice.8 Further differences in expectations include the inacceptability of non-physical assessment, assessing fitness to work, and thresholds for referral to secondary care.7,8

Central and Eastern Europeans infrequently attend general practice with mental health concerns, including prior to suicide, and may see diagnosis as an inappropriate medicalisation of distress.5 Even when mental health or wellbeing concerns are recognised by the clinician and patient, views on their management often differ. The National Institute for Health and Care …

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British Journal of General Practice: 72 (720)
British Journal of General Practice
Vol. 72, Issue 720
July 2022
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Culture, migration, Brexit, and COVID-19: managing the mental health of patients from Central and Eastern Europe
Aaron Poppleton, Caroline Saunders, Carolyn A Chew-Graham, Tom Kingstone, Adrian Chudyk, Lisa Dikomitis
British Journal of General Practice 2022; 72 (720): 308-309. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp22X719801

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Culture, migration, Brexit, and COVID-19: managing the mental health of patients from Central and Eastern Europe
Aaron Poppleton, Caroline Saunders, Carolyn A Chew-Graham, Tom Kingstone, Adrian Chudyk, Lisa Dikomitis
British Journal of General Practice 2022; 72 (720): 308-309. DOI: 10.3399/bjgp22X719801
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  • Article
    • SETTING THE MENTAL HEALTH SCENE
    • BREXIT, COVID-19, AND THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE
    • RECONCEPTUALISING SERVICE PROVISION: HOW CAN GPs RESPOND?
    • CONCLUSION
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More in this TOC Section

  • Faecal immunochemical test: challenges and opportunities for cancer diagnosis in primary care
  • Cervical screening: the evolving landscape
  • Greater support, recognition, and research for health visiting post-pandemic
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Print ISSN: 0960-1643
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