Patienten mit Migrationshintergrund in stationär-psychiatrischen Einrichtungen – Vergleich zwischen Patienten aus Osteuropa und der Türkei

Subtitle: Patients with migratory background in inpatient psychiatric clinics – comparison of patients from Eastern Europe and Turkey – National survey on patients with migratory background in inpatient psychiatric clinics of the working group "Psychiatry and Migration" of the Federal Board of Directors

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Schouler-Ocak, Meryam | Bretz, Hans Joachim | Rapp, Michael A. | Aichberger, Marion C. | Schepker, Renate | Hartkamp, Norbert | Koch, Eckhardt | Penka, Simone | Hauth, Iris | Heinz, Andreas

Affiliations: Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig Krankenhaus Berlin | Abteilung für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und -psychotherapie Universität Ulm/ ZfP Die Weissenau | Abteilung für Psychosomatische Medizin, Stiftungsklinikum Mittelrhein, Gesundheitszentrum zum Hl. Geist, Boppard | Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie Marburg-Süd | Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, CCM | Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie St. Joseph-Krankenhaus Berlin-Weißensee

Note: [] Korrespondenzadresse: Dr. Meryam Schouler-Ocak, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik der Charité im St. Hedwig Krankenhaus, Große Hamburger Straße 5 – 11, 10115 Berlin, Germany. Tel.: +49 30 2311 2786; Fax: +49 30 2311 2787; e-mail: meryam.schouler-ocak@charite.de

Abstract: Background: In 2005, the German Microcensus began gathering data on the history of migration among the general population in addition to citizenship. It was found that 18.6% of the population had a history of migration. 14.2% of all immigrants were of Turkish origin and a further 9.4% were of Russian origin. The present study compares Turkish and Eastern European subgroups of immigrants in a psychiatric inpatient population. Methods: TheMigration Working Group of the German Federal Conference of Psychiatric Hospital Directors surveyed newly admitted inpatients on one index day (July 19th, 2006) regarding history of migration, diagnosis, main language, and communication difficulties in 131 hospitals. Results: 20.8% of the patients were of Eastern European and 6.2% of Turkish descent. Eastern European patients were overrepresented as compared to Turkish patients in the inpatient sample. Turkish immigrants reported Non-German as their main language more often than Eastern Europeans did. There was a trend towards more diagnostic categories of schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders (F2) as well as of mood disorders (F3) within the Turkish group. Eastern European patients had significantly more diagnoses of mental and behavioural disorders due to psychoactive substance use (F1). Eastern Europeans were more likely to have immigrated as adults, whereas Turkish patients were more often the children of immigrants. Conclusions: Overall, an overrepresentation of Eastern European patients was found, whereas Turkish patients were underrepresented. Eastern European patients may have better access to psychiatric inpatient treatments than Turkish patients do. Moreover, Eastern European patients are more often found to be treated for addiction disorders in an inpatient setting.

Keywords: Use of inpatient psychiatric care, migratory background, Turkey, Eastern Europe

Journal: Zeitschrift für Medizinische Psychologie, vol. 18, no. 3-4, pp. 117-123, 2009