TITLE:
Prevalence of Mental Disorders and Health Service Utilization among Individuals with Turkish Migration Backgrounds in Germany: A Study Protocol for an Epidemiological Investigation
AUTHORS:
Mike Mösko, Demet Dingoyan, Simone Penka, Azra Vardar, Holger Schulz, Uwe Koch, Andreas Heinz, Ulrike Kluge
KEYWORDS:
Mental Health, Mental Disorder, Migration, Turkish, Germany, Prevalence, Comorbidity, Health Care Utilization, Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), Epidemiology
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.6 No.3,
July
29,
2016
ABSTRACT: Background: There is a lack of reliable epidemiological data on prevalence
and comorbidity rates of mental disorders in the migrant population in Germany.
Despite existing national and international data on the extent of psychosocial
burdens in migrant populations the prevalence among the study population
remains unclear. The aim of this study was to collect prevalence data for the
largest migrant population in Germany-individuals with Turkish migration
backgrounds—using a culturally and linguistically sensitive approach. Methods:
The study employs a cross-sectional design. The multi-centre study (Hamburg,
Berlin) is based on a sample of individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds
living in the two cities stratified by age, gender, and education. The study
programme consists of three phases: 1) a qualitative focus group to collect
information on how to increase the participation rate of the target population
as a minority group in Germany; 2) a translation phase to create culture and
linguistic sensitive versions of the assessment tools (e.g., the Composite
International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) for Turkish speaking individuals; and
3) a baseline community study to assess the lifetime, 12-month and four-week
prevalence and comorbidity rates of mental disorder, health care utilization
and help-seeking behaviour in individuals of Turkish migration backgrounds
living in Germany. Discussion: The study provides important data on the
lifetime prevalence of mental disorders and health care utilization of
individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds. Furthermore, the study is an
important step towards gaining a better understanding of potential barriers to
participation, creating resources for difficult-to-reach minorities, and understanding
the need for assessing mental disorders in migrant populations. These results
can offer a starting point for the initiation of the necessary structural
changes for mental health care services and policies for groups with migration
backgrounds.