Psychological distress, depression and generalised anxiety in Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in Belgium

Background 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. Methods 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. Results 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