title: [The link between self-construal and mental distress in Turkish migrants and German women with depression].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study aims to analyze cultural differences in the patterns of self-construals (interdependent vs. independent) and their relation to mental distress in a sample of depressed Turkish migrants and German women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total number of 56 in-patients with a diagnosis of major depression were compared in terms of self-construals and their relations to different aspects of mental distress.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Turkish patients exhibited a stronger interdependent self-construal compared to Germans, whereas no group differences were observed with respect to independence. While for Turkish patients a higher level of interdependence was associated with lower levels of mental distress, the reverse was true for German patients. However, there were no significant ethnic differences in the associations between independence and mental distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study provides evidence that the relation between self-construal and mental distress is moderated by patient's cultural background. The findings have implications for integrating self-construals into psychotherapy practice with culturally diverse populations, in order to adjust therapy goals and intervention techniques.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Psychologie, Fakultät für Naturwissenschaften und Literatur, Işık Universität, Şile - İstanbul, Türkei. nazli.balkir@isikun.edu.tr
authors.forename: Nazli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Balkir
authors.forename: Elisabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Arens
authors.forename: Carolin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: Sven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barnow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003858:Dependency, Psychological; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission; D011613:Psychotherapy; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012933:Social Identification; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014421:Turkey / Q000208:ethnology