Psychological distress, depression and generalised anxiety in Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in Belgium: a general population study

This study assesses the prevalence of and risk and protective factors for common mental health complaints in a general population sample of Turkish and Moroccan immigrants living in Belgium. Focus is on between- and within-group variation. The study is based on pooled data from the Belgian Health Interview Surveys 2001 and 2004 and focuses on the Turkish and Moroccan immigrant population aged 18-65 (N = 147 Turks, N = 359 Moroccans). Mental health status is assessed with the General Health Questionnaire-12 and the Symptom Checklist 90-R subscales for depression and generalised anxiety. Risk and protective factors considered are gender, age, household type, labor market position, educational level, household income, homeownership, being foreign- or native born and social support. Between-group variance was not significant. Within-group analysis showed significant effects of gender and social support. Although not significant, the results suggested positive associations between social adversity and mood status. In addition, there was a tendency for higher risks for psychological distress, depression and generalised anxiety in foreign-born as compared to Belgian-born Turkish and Moroccan immigrants