[The role of migration on the adjustment of adolescents in Turkey].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to compare the life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social support networks of adolescents that migrated with those that did not.


METHODS
The study sample was composed of 5 groups; adolescents that didn't migrate that were living in Izmir (n=60), Kiziltepe-Nusaybin (n=64), and villages in Mardin (n=61), and adolescents that migrated to Izmir from villages in Mardin (n=60) and those that migrated to Kiziltepe-Nusaybin from nearby villages (n=60). In all, the study sample included 305 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 years (152 male and 153 female).


RESULTS
The life satisfaction and self-esteem scores of the adolescents that migrated to Izmir were lower than those of the adolescents that hadn't migrated. Differing from the other groups, adolescents living in Izmir had more friends in their social support networks. There were no age or gender differences between life satisfaction, self-esteem, and social support network scores, or acculturation levels of the adolescents that migrated. While life satisfaction scores of the adolescents that attended school were higher, the acculturation level of the adolescents that were working full-time was lower. In addition, the acculturation level of the adolescents that migrated, but wanted to return to where they came from was lower. The acculturation level of the adolescents that migrated to nearby towns was higher than that of those that migrated to a remote city.


CONCLUSIONS
Migration to a remote settlement appears to have negatively associated with the psychological well-being of the adolescents that migrated.
Gün
Zübeyit
Z
Klinik Psik., L'institut de Psychologie, L'université René Descartes-Sorbonne, Fransa. gunzubeyit@yahoo.com
Bayraktar
Fatih
F
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014421:Turkey