Acculturation and psychological distress among non-Western Muslim migrants--a population-based survey.
BACKGROUND
Political and social developments point at increasing marginalization of Muslim migrants, but little is known about its consequences for the mental health of this particular group.


OBJECTIVE
To explore the relationship between acculturation and psychological distress among first-generation Muslim migrants from Turkey and Morocco in the Netherlands.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study. Respondents were interviewed in their preferred language. Acculturation was measured with the Lowlands Acculturation Scale (LAS) and psychological distress with the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). Data were complete for 321 subjects and analyzed with multivariate linear regression.


RESULTS
Less skills for living in Dutch society was associated with distress (p = 0.032). Feelings of loss were related to distress among Moroccans (p = 0.037). There was an interaction between traditionalism and ethnic background (p = 0.037); traditionalism was related to less distress among Moroccans (p = 0.020), but not among Turkish. Finally, there was an interaction by gender among Turks (p = 0.029); conservative norms and values seemed to be related to distress among men (p = 0.062), not women.


CONCLUSIONS
Successful contact and participation in Dutch society, and maintenance of heritage culture and identity were moderately associated with less psychological distress. Improving mastery of the dominant language in host societies, and allowing migrants to preserve their traditions, might be effective measures in improving the mental well-being of migrants.
Fassaert
Thijs
T
Department of Epidemiology, Documentation and Health Promotion, Municipal Health Service, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. tfassaert@ggd.amsterdam.nl
De Wit
Matty A S
MA
Tuinebreijer
Wilco C
WC
Knipscheer
Jeroen W
JW
Verhoeff
Arnoud P
AP
Beekman
Aartjan T F
AT
Dekker
Jack
J
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007514:Islam / Q000523:psychology*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D009018:Morocco / Q000208:ethnology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology