[Mental distress in primary care patients: German patients compared with patients of Turkish origin]

Abstract

Background: In Germany empirical research on the (mental) health of immigrants is still insufficiently investigated.

Methods: The symptom severity of depressiveness (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) and of somatoform complaints (Screening for Somatoform Symptoms, SOMS-2) were measured in 254 Turkish and 164 German patients in primary care.

Results: Turkish patients showed a higher age-adjusted severity of depressive and somatoform symptomatology compared with German patients. The most pronounced depressive symptoms of the Turkish patients were fatigue and irritability and of the German patients sleep disorders and fatigue. Of the Turkish patients 19.29 % achieved the cut-off value for a clinically relevant depression (≥ 18 points) but this was achieved by only 7.93% of the German sample (p = 0.001). The most common somatoform symptoms of the Turkish patients were back pain and pain in the arms or legs and in the German patients back pain and joint pain dominated.

Conclusions: The results indicate a higher mental distress in Turkish compared to native German patients.