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Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 11/2015

01-11-2015 | Original Paper

Perceived ethnic discrimination, acculturation, and psychological distress in women of Turkish origin in Germany

Authors: Marion C. Aichberger, Zohra Bromand, Michael A. Rapp, Rahsan Yesil, Amanda Heredia Montesinos, Selver Temur-Erman, Andreas Heinz, Meryam Schouler-Ocak

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 11/2015

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Abstract

Purpose

Discrimination is linked to various health problems, including mental disorders like depression and also has a negative effect on the access to mental health care services. Little is known about factors mitigating the association between ethnic discrimination and mental distress.

Methods

The present study examined the extent of the relationship between perceived ethnic discrimination and psychological distress among women of Turkish origin residing in Berlin, and explored whether this association is moderated by acculturation strategies while controlling for known predictors of distress in migrant populations.

Results

A total of 205 women of Turkish origin participated in the study. 55.1 % of the participants reported some degree of ethnic discrimination. The degree of reported discrimination varied according to acculturation. The highest level of ethnic discrimination was found in the second generation separated group and both generations of the marginalized group. Further, the results indicate an association between ethnic discrimination and distress while adjusting for known socio-demographic predictors of distress, migration-related factors, and neuroticism (B = 5.56, 95 % CI 2.44–8.68, p < 0.001). However, the relationship did vary as a function of acculturation strategy, showing an association only in the separated group.

Conclusions

The findings highlight the effects of ethnic discrimination beyond the influence of known risk factor for psychological distress in migrants, such as unemployment, being single, having a limited residence permit or the presence of personality structures that may increase vulnerability for stress responses and mental disorders.
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Metadata
Title
Perceived ethnic discrimination, acculturation, and psychological distress in women of Turkish origin in Germany
Authors
Marion C. Aichberger
Zohra Bromand
Michael A. Rapp
Rahsan Yesil
Amanda Heredia Montesinos
Selver Temur-Erman
Andreas Heinz
Meryam Schouler-Ocak
Publication date
01-11-2015
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 11/2015
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-015-1105-3

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