Immigration-associated variables and substance dependence.
OBJECTIVE
Drug-dependent patients show increased negative mood states such as anxiety and depression that interact with drug craving and quality of life. In this study, we compared immigrants with and without drug dependence and assessed whether drug dependence and social status after immigration contributed independently to negative mood states, stress-coping strategies and satisfaction with life in Germany.


METHODS
Immigrants (N = 80) who had emigrated from the former Soviet Union to Germany were participants in the study. Drug-dependent immigrants (24 men, 16 women, mean [SD] age 33 [9] years) were compared with healthy immigrants (26 men, 14 women, mean age 35 [12] years) on current emotional status, trait-anxiety, depression, stress-coping strategies, drug craving and immigration-associated data.


RESULTS
Compared with healthy immigrants, drug-dependent immigrants showed significantly higher levels of anxiety, depression and negative stress-coping strategies, independent of differences in education or employment status. Satisfaction with being in Germany was associated with both drug dependence and employment status. The severity of drug craving was significantly associated with negative mood states but not with any other measured sociodemographic variable.


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that drug dependence is associated with increased negative mood states and poor stress-coping strategies, independent of the assessed sociodemographic variables. Drug dependence may thus severely interfere with acculturation in the host country. Because immigrants often face reduced treatment options as a result of cultural and language barriers, our findings underline the importance of adequate drug treatment facilities for dependent immigrants.
Grüsser
Sabine M
SM
Institute for Medical Psychology, Center for Humanities and Health Sciences, Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Tucholskystrasse 2, 10117 Berlin, Germany. sabine.gruesser@charite.de
Wölfling
Klaus
K
Mörsen
Chantal P
CP
Albrecht
Ulrike
U
Heinz
Andreas
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D004641:Emigration and Immigration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D014586:USSR / Q000208:ethnology