Eva Morawa1, Yesim Erim2. 1. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany. Electronic address: eva.morawa@uk-erlangen.de. 2. Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To investigate depressive symptoms and mental health care utilization in adult cancer survivors (CS) of different ethnic origin. METHODS: Mental health care utilization in dependence of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9 ≥ 10) was analyzed in native German CS (GE) and in CS with Turkish (TR) or Polish (PL) migration background, recruited by a cancer registry. Frequencies and odds ratios (OR) were calculated. RESULTS: 135 native German and 50 CS belonging to the first migration generation (TR: n = 25 and PL: n = 25) participated. TR showed the highest rate of depression (36.0%), followed by PL (32.0%), while GE revealed the lowest frequency (20.9%). The frequency of the utilization of mental health services was 17.4% (TR), 4.5% (PL) and 8.1% (GE). After adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables, no significant differences between the migrants and German CS were detected for the risk of being depressed, however a tendency for an increased risk in the migrant group was observed (OR = 2.53, CI = 0.96-6.65, p = .061). Female gender (OR = 3.88, CI = 1.29-11.68, p = .016) and prior psychological/psychiatric treatment (OR = 4.35, CI = 1.86-10.18, p = .001) were significantly associated with a higher risk of being depressed. CONCLUSION: Contrastingly to numerous surveys, our results indicate no substantial differences between migrants and native CS, when adjusted for important confounders. High levels of migrants´ acculturation (good language proficiency, German citizenship/unlimited residence permit, long duration of stay in Germany) may contribute to eliminate inequalities caused by migration status in depressive symptomatology and mental health care utilization in CS.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate depressive symptoms and mental health care utilization in adult cancer survivors (CS) of different ethnic origin. METHODS: Mental health care utilization in dependence of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9 ≥ 10) was analyzed in native German CS (GE) and in CS with Turkish (TR) or Polish (PL) migration background, recruited by a cancer registry. Frequencies and odds ratios (OR) were calculated. RESULTS: 135 native German and 50 CS belonging to the first migration generation (TR: n = 25 and PL: n = 25) participated. TR showed the highest rate of depression (36.0%), followed by PL (32.0%), while GE revealed the lowest frequency (20.9%). The frequency of the utilization of mental health services was 17.4% (TR), 4.5% (PL) and 8.1% (GE). After adjusting for sociodemographic and clinical variables, no significant differences between the migrants and German CS were detected for the risk of being depressed, however a tendency for an increased risk in the migrant group was observed (OR = 2.53, CI = 0.96-6.65, p = .061). Female gender (OR = 3.88, CI = 1.29-11.68, p = .016) and prior psychological/psychiatric treatment (OR = 4.35, CI = 1.86-10.18, p = .001) were significantly associated with a higher risk of being depressed. CONCLUSION: Contrastingly to numerous surveys, our results indicate no substantial differences between migrants and native CS, when adjusted for important confounders. High levels of migrants´ acculturation (good language proficiency, German citizenship/unlimited residence permit, long duration of stay in Germany) may contribute to eliminate inequalities caused by migration status in depressive symptomatology and mental health care utilization in CS.