Factors that influence access to primary healthcare services for migrants with a pre-existing mental ill-health diagnosis: a scoping review

AI Summary

Migrants with pre-existing mental ill-health encounter significantly more barriers than enablers to accessing primary healthcare services.
Primary healthcare services lack culturally appropriate alignment to address diverse physical and mental healthcare needs of migrants.
There is a need to tailor primary healthcare to address the complex, interrelated barriers experienced by migrants with pre-existing mental ill-health.

BMC Prim Care. 2026 Jun 16. doi: 10.1186/s12875-026-03375-6. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Migrants frequently encounter significant stressors during their migration journey, which can adversely affect their mental health. The rising prevalence of mental ill-health among migrant populations is an increasing public health concern. Primary healthcare services are crucial in addressing both the physical and mental health needs of migrants with pre-existing mental ill-health diagnoses. However, it is essential to understand the factors that facilitate and hinder access to primary healthcare services for this population.

AIM: This scoping review sought to identify factors that enable and hinder migrants with pre-existing mental ill-health diagnoses when accessing primary healthcare services.

METHODS: This scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology as it facilitates the inclusion of all relevant information that has not previously been combined and helps to identify gaps in existing literature as a means of informing future research. A systematic search of five electronic databases, Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, ASSIA, and Web of Science, was conducted between 2014-2024.

RESULTS: Thirteen studies met the eligibility criteria and were synthesised using narrative synthesis. The findings reveal that migrants with pre-existing mental ill health diagnoses face significantly more barriers than enablers when accessing primary healthcare services. Notably, the interrelated barriers illuminate a lack of culturally appropriate alignment of primary healthcare services to address the diverse range of physical and mental healthcare needs of migrants living with pre-existing mental ill health.

CONCLUSION: This scoping review offers an overview of the existing literature on the enablers and barriers faced by migrants with pre-existing mental ill-health when accessing primary healthcare services. The findings illuminate the complexities that migrants with a pre-existing mental ill-health diagnosis experience when accessing primary healthcare services. There is a need to tailor primary healthcare services to adequately meet the unique needs of migrant populations living with a pre-existing mental ill-health diagnosis.

PMID:42304198 | DOI:10.1186/s12875-026-03375-6

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