Psychopathology and management of hospitalized Ethiopian immigrant adolescents in Israel.

Over a period of about 12 months a large number of Ethiopian Jews emigrated to Israel under very stressful conditions. Many of these immigrants were adolescents who came on their own, leaving their families behind. Despite the culture shock involved, most have done well. Nine of these youngsters, who developed psychiatric disabilities severe enough to warrant hospitalization, were referred to us. In this paper we describe the clinical and management problems posed by these patients.