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16/09/2025 - Institutional news

Study Assesses the Impact of Migration on the Mental Health of Immigrants

This research, carried out by investigators from Hospital del Mar, the Hospital del Mar Research Institute, and the CIBER area for mental health (CIBERSAM), has been published in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology. The study shows that immigrants experience their first psychotic episode three years earlier than individuals born in the host country.

Immigrants develop their first psychotic episode earlier than native-born individuals-on average, three years earlier. According to the study, this is linked to accumulated trauma throughout life and the age at which migration begins. The research, conducted at Hospital del Mar in collaboration with the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and CIBERSAM, appears in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology.

The study involved 198 participants-half of them immigrants from 36 different countries, and the other half native-born individuals. All participants had been diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. Using a specially designed questionnaire and a review of their medical records, researchers assessed accumulated trauma, recent life events, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

The findings revealed that the average age at the onset of psychosis was 25 years for immigrants, compared to 28 years for native-born participants. One in three immigrants experienced post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), versus just 7% among the native-born group. Additionally, migrant participants had experienced three times more trauma in their lifetime and twice as many stressful events. The onset of the first psychotic episode was also linked to a younger age of migration, with an average of 20 years old.

"Our results suggest that factors such as the age at first migration and the intensity of trauma-related suffering can have a direct impact on the age at onset of psychosis," explains Dr. Amira Trabsa, lead author of the study and psychiatrist at the Acute Psychiatry Unit of the Centre Fòrum. Early-onset psychosis is associated with a worse prognosis, higher risk of relapse, poorer treatment response, and increased likelihood of hospitalization. It occurs during a sensitive period of neurodevelopment and life transition, when critical aspects such as identity, social bonding, and educational or career paths are still being shaped.

As the authors point out, the findings underscore the importance of incorporating migration history and trauma exposure into initial psychiatric assessments, as well as the need to develop culturally sensitive, tailored preventive strategies for migrant populations.

Amira Trabsa

Reference article

Trabsa A, Solanes A, Hogg B, Valiente A, Mané A, Pérez-Sola V, Amann BL, Moreno-Alcázar A. A comparative analysis of age of onset and associated factors in non-refugee immigrants versus native-born individuals with psychotic disorders. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2025 Dec;16(1):2524292. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2025.2524292. Epub 2025 Jul 16. PMID: 40667640; PMCID: PMC12269055.

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