Tailored intervention to prevent relapses and hospitalization in a migrant suffering from paranoid schizophrenia

Adherence issues combined with inequitable access to healthcare may increase the risk of discontinuation of care for undocumented migrants with severe mental health illness.

An Ethiopian man with paranoid schizophrenia who relapsed several times after hospitalization was identified by a humanitarian outreach team in Brussels. The team built a relationship with him by offering him access to services including accommodation and mental health care. A treatment buddy was identified to support him adhering to his treatment and accompany him while hospitalized. Effective collaboration between Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the hospital led to MSF ensuring continuum of care in an outpatient service with the support of the treatment buddy for treatment adherence. The patient was empowered to adhere to medication and attend appointments after hospitalization. After 6 weeks, the man became autonomous with treatment, coming for his injections and collecting his medication every 2 weeks. There has been no relapse requiring hospitalization since.