Article Version of Record

Changes in Disease Perception, Coping Strategies and Diagnoses in the Case of First and Fourth Generations of Turkish Migrants in Germany

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Kizilhan, Jan Ilhan

Abstract / Description

This study examines to what extent subjective illness concepts and symptoms of Turkish patients in Germany have changed over 40 years. Two groups of patients of Turkish origin from psychosomatic clinics in Germany took part in the study, the first group made up of 690 patients from the “first generation” of migrants and the second group comprising 350 patients from the “fourth generation“. The study was conducted using standardised interviews (The sociodemographic questionnaire,IPQ, COPE, BDI, SCL-90-R). Differences were found in essential aspects of subjective illness perception and illness coping strategies as well as in the diagnosis of psychological illness. The fourth generation of Turkish patients that were born and have grown up in Germany showed more problem-oriented behaviour regarding their coping strategies and less use of dysfunctional strategies for treatment than patients of the first generation. The findings of the present study are important for treating Turkish patients and patients of Turkish origin suffering from psychological disorders since they indicate that their disease perception, coping strategies and diagnoses undergo changes in the course of generations. Hitherto these differences were not taken into account in treatment; in the future we should be moving towards customised treatment in order to achieve better therapeutic effects.

Keyword(s)

subjective illness beliefs migration Turkish patients culture illness coping strategies

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2012-08-29

Journal title

Europe's Journal of Psychology

Volume

8

Issue

3

Page numbers

352–362

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Kizilhan, J. I. (2012). Changes in Disease Perception, Coping Strategies and Diagnoses in the Case of First and Fourth Generations of Turkish Migrants in Germany. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 8(3), 352–362. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v8i3.473
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Kizilhan, Jan Ilhan
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-21T10:00:41Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-21T10:00:41Z
  • Date of first publication
    2012-08-29
  • Abstract / Description
    This study examines to what extent subjective illness concepts and symptoms of Turkish patients in Germany have changed over 40 years. Two groups of patients of Turkish origin from psychosomatic clinics in Germany took part in the study, the first group made up of 690 patients from the “first generation” of migrants and the second group comprising 350 patients from the “fourth generation“. The study was conducted using standardised interviews (The sociodemographic questionnaire,IPQ, COPE, BDI, SCL-90-R). Differences were found in essential aspects of subjective illness perception and illness coping strategies as well as in the diagnosis of psychological illness. The fourth generation of Turkish patients that were born and have grown up in Germany showed more problem-oriented behaviour regarding their coping strategies and less use of dysfunctional strategies for treatment than patients of the first generation. The findings of the present study are important for treating Turkish patients and patients of Turkish origin suffering from psychological disorders since they indicate that their disease perception, coping strategies and diagnoses undergo changes in the course of generations. Hitherto these differences were not taken into account in treatment; in the future we should be moving towards customised treatment in order to achieve better therapeutic effects.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Kizilhan, J. I. (2012). Changes in Disease Perception, Coping Strategies and Diagnoses in the Case of First and Fourth Generations of Turkish Migrants in Germany. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 8(3), 352–362. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v8i3.473
  • ISSN
    1841-0413
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1147
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1339
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v8i3.473
  • Keyword(s)
    subjective illness beliefs
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    migration
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    Turkish patients
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    culture
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    illness coping strategies
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Changes in Disease Perception, Coping Strategies and Diagnoses in the Case of First and Fourth Generations of Turkish Migrants in Germany
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    3
  • Journal title
    Europe's Journal of Psychology
  • Page numbers
    352–362
  • Volume
    8
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record