Psychische Störungen,psychische Belastungen und soziale Unterstützung bei türkischen Migranten in zwei Berliner Allgemeinarztpraxen

There is a considerable lack of research concerning the mental health of immigrants in Germany. Studies related to this topic have usually been based exclusively on questionnaire data and have not used standardized instruments for the categorical assessment of disorders according to ICD-10 or DSM-IV. A convenience sample of 100 patients of Turkish origin was taken in two general physicians’ practices. The patient assessment included psychometric instruments (SCL-14, CES-D, F-SozU, FAKKS-T) and the IDCL (“International Checklist for Diagnoses according to ICD-10”) for the standardized assessment of ICD-10 diagnoses. Compared to German samples, the assessed immigrant population showed an increased number of psychological symptoms and a higher rate (45%) of mental disorders. Most prevalent were anxiety and depressive disorders. The study also indicates a higher rate of mental disorders among women (55%) than among men (35%) as well as a higher subjective psychological distress among the female participants.