Lifetime prevalence of mental disorders among first and second generation individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds in Germany

Abstract

BackgroundThis paper focuses on the lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds in Germany, as there is a lack of reliable epidemiological data on this subject.MethodsIn total, 662 adults with Turkish migration backgrounds were interviewed in Hamburg and Berlin by trained, bilingual interviewers using the computerized Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI DIA-X Version 2.8) to assess diagnoses according to the DSM-IVTR.ResultsThe analyses showed a weighted lifetime prevalence of 78.8% for any mental disorder, 21.6% for more than one and 7.3% for five or more disorders. Any mood disorder (41.9%), any anxiety disorder (35.7%) and any somatoform disorder/syndrome (33.7%) had the highest prevalences. Despite the sociodemographic differences between the first and second generations, there were no significant differences in the lifetime prevalence between generations, with the exception of any bipolar disorder. Female gender, older age and no current partnership were significantly associated with the occurrence of any mood disorder.ConclusionsOverall, the results indicate a high lifetime prevalence in individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds in Germany. These initial data are highly relevant to the German clinical and psychosocial healthcare system; however, the methodological limitations and potential biases should be considered when interpreting the results.

Kulturabhängigkeit der Einstellung gegenüber psychotherapeutischer Behandlung bei Türkeistämmigen und Personen ohne Migrationshintergrund

“…Aktuell sind Personen mit Migrationshintergrund unter Psychotherapeuten jedoch weiterhin deutlich unterrepräsentiert [27]. Bei einer deutlich erhöhten Lebenszeitprävalenz für psychische Störungen [16] ist daher offenbar von einer großen psychotherapeutischen Versorgungslücke von Migranten auszugehen. Dies könnte auch dadurch verstärkt werden, dass die interkulturelle Kommunikation, für die die Sprache das Hauptarbeitsinstrument darstellt, oftmals von beiden Seiten (Therapeuten und Patienten) nicht angenommen wird.…”

“…Dingoyan et al [16] fanden in einer epidemiologischen Studie bei Personen mit türkischem Migrationshintergrund eine hohe Lebenszeitprävalenz von über 78,8 % für eine psychische Störung, von 21,6 % für mehr als eine psychische Erkrankung und von 7,3 % für mehr als 5 Störungen. Eine affektive Störung stellten die Autoren bei 41,9 % fest, Angststörungen bei 35,7 % und eine somatoforme Störung /ein somatoformes Syndrom bei 33,7 %.…”

“…Interessanterweise konnte kein Unterschied zwischen erster und zweiter Generation in der Lebenszeitprävalenz gefunden werden, mit Ausnahme der bipolaren Störung. Es zeigte sich, dass weibliches Geschlecht, Alter und aktuell fehlende Partnerbeziehung mit einer affektiven Störung in Verbindung standen [16].…”

The Role of the Social Network in Access to Psychosocial Services for Migrant Elderly—A Qualitative Study

“…Most of them are first generation immigrants and, although there are differences between groups, many elderly migrants have low proficiency in the language of the host country and are often low educated with limited health literacy skills [ 3 ]. In addition, research indicates higher levels of mental illness in first generation migrants compared to the majority population [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. Also, in The Netherlands, elderly non-western migrants more frequently suffer from common mental disorders such as anxiety, loneliness, and depression, compared to Dutch elderly [ 7 , 8 ].…”

Attitudes towards psychopharmacology and psychotherapy in psychiatric patients with and without migration background

“…A variety of psychosocial risk factors, including lower socioeconomic status, higher risk for unemployment [1], discrimination [2] and experience of violence as well as migration stress [3] contribute to higher rates of psychiatric disorders in migrant populations. Although the risk for specific psychiatric disorders varies depending on the region of origin [3] as well as on the circumstances of being a migrant or a refugee [4], generally a higher prevalence of most psychiatric disorders has been reported [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]. Despite this increased risk and a higher symptom load compared to individuals without migration background [13][14][15], migrants tend to use mental health services, including psychotherapy, less often [16][17][18][19].…”