Cross-cultural Opening – a long way to achieve substantial changes in the German mental health care system

Abstract

Throughout recent history Germany has gone through different phases of substantial migration movements. Currently almost 20% of the general population has a so-called migration background. Recent political milestones paved the way for Germany to move from being an informal to a formal immigration country. Still people with a migration background do not participate equally in important aspects of societal living. Cross-cultural opening is a movement that focuses on (health) organizations to reflect on their structure and processes in order to be more sensitive towards the special needs of clients with a migration background. With the focus on mental health care services in Germany, the barriers, milestones and (further) developments regarding improved diagnostics and treatment quality are outlined.