In the recent years, research on the conditions, under which members of the host countries such as Germany perceive refugees as threatening and respond with negative attitudes, has increased. However, little attention has been given to the implications that subjective perceptions of threat among the host community may have for their own psychological health. Using integrated threat theory, the current study examined the relationships between perceived threats, person-centered antecedents in intercultural settings, and psychological distress among Germans, who reflected on incoming refugees. Using a survey company, a sample (N = 1000) was recruited, which matched the German census regarding central demographics. Participants completed a cross-sectional online survey with validated self-report measures. Assessments covered four perceived threat types (intergroup anxiety, symbolic and realistic threat, negative stereotypes), person-related antecedents (social identity as German, quantity and quality of prior intercultural contact), and psychological distress. Applying structural equation modeling, we found that high social identification as German was related to greater perceptions of symbolic/realistic threat, stronger negative stereotypes and to more intergroup anxiety. Vice versa, high quality of prior intercultural contact experiences was associated with a decrease of all threat types. The quantity of prior intercultural contact showed almost no relations to perceived threats. In terms of indirect effects, greater quality of contact predicted less distress, and greater identity as German predicted more distress, both via symbolic/realistic threat and intergroup anxiety. Taken together, perceiving refugees as a threatening outgroup may signify a self-harming risk, while high quality of intercultural relations may indirectly enhance health.

Black people and People of Color are disproportionately affected by racism and show increased rates of psychosis. To examine whether racialized migrant groups are particularly exposed to racism and therefore have higher risks for psychosis, this paper (1) systematically assesses rates of psychosis among racialized migrant groups concerning the country of origin, and (2) analyzes interviews regarding the association of racism experiences with psychosis-related symptoms in racialized Black people and People of Color populations in Germany. We present an umbrella review of meta-analyses that report the incidence of positive symptoms (e.g., hallucinations and delusions) and negative symptoms (e.g., apathy and incoherent speech) of diagnosed schizophrenia, other non-affective psychotic disorders (e.g., schizoaffective disorder) or first-episode psychosis among migrants by country of origin. We also report 20 interviews with first- and second-generation migrants racialized as Black and of Color in Germany to capture and classify their experiences of racism as well as racism-associated mental health challenges. In the umbrella review, psychosis risk was greatest when migration occurred from developing countries. Effect size estimates were even larger among Caribbean and African migrants. In the qualitative study, the application of the constant comparative method yielded four subordinate themes that form a subclinical psychosis symptomatology profile related to experiences of racism: (1) a sense of differentness, (2) negative self-awareness, (3) paranoid ideation regarding general persecution, and (4) self-questioning and self-esteem instability. We here provide converging evidence from a quantitative and qualitative analysis that the risk of poor mental health and psychotic experiences is related to racism associated with minority status and migration.

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Background: In light of their experiences on the journey and upon their arrival in the receiving society, refugees may have differentiated needs regarding health care. However, negative attitudes of the receiving society and a lack of information pose as barriers for refugees when trying to access health care services. In that sense, it is largely unknown, which antecedents positively affect Germans’ perception of information barriers that refugees face. Based on an extended version of the Empathy-Attitude-Action model, this study examined selected predictors of problem awareness in the form of perceived information barriers that refugees face, emphasizing the role of positive intercultural contact experiences. Methods: A sample of Germans (N= 910) completed a cross-sectional online survey with validated self-report measures. From the perspective of Germans, assessments covered positive intercultural contact, attitudes on refugees’ rights, the recognition of refugees’ socio-emotional support needs as a form of cognitive empathy, and the perception of refugees’ information barriers when accessing health care. We conducted structural equation modeling to examine hypothesized latent associations and specified three different models with unidirectional paths between the study variables, each allowing another direct path from intercultural contact to the variables. We determined the best model using the chi-square-difference test and tested for indirect effects along the paths through bias-corrected bootstrapping. Results: Our results show consistency with the Empathy-Attitude-Action model. We found Germans’ cognitive empathy towards refugees to be associated with more positive attitudes and a greater awareness of refugees’ information barriers. We further found more positive intercultural contact to be associated with greater cognitive empathy towards refugees and with more positive attitudes. While these contact experiences showed a slightly direct negative effect on Germans’ perception of refugees’ information barriers to accessing health care, the indirect effects via cognitive empathy and positive attitudes were positive. Conclusion: Previous positive intercultural contact may be directly and indirectly linked to greater awareness for refugees, helping Germans as the receiving community (1) to become more empathetic towards refugees, (2) to improve their attitudes towards refugees’ rights and to (3) raise consciousness for information barriers that refugees face when trying to access health care services.