Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
Volume 207, Issue 3, 2019, Pages 162-170

Cultural identity confusion and psychopathology: A mixed-methods study among refugees and asylum seekers in the Netherlands (Article)

Groen S.P.N.* , Richters A.J.M. , Laban C.J. , Van Busschbach J.T. , Devillé W.L.J.M.
  • a De Evenaar, North-Netherlands Centre for Transcultural Psychiatry, GGZ Drenthe Mental Health Institute, PO Box 30007, Assen, 9400 RA, Netherlands, Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • b Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • c De Evenaar, North-Netherlands Centre for Transcultural Psychiatry, GGZ Drenthe Mental Health Institute, PO Box 30007, Assen, 9400 RA, Netherlands
  • d University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Rob Giel Research Centre, Groningen, Netherlands, Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, Zwolle, Netherlands
  • e Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, University Medical Center Utrecht, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Utrecht, Netherlands, Advisory Centre on Migrants, Refugees, and Health (Pharos), Utrecht, Netherlands

Abstract

Although there is ample empirical evidence that traumatic events, postmigration stress, and acculturation problems have a great impact on the mental health of refugees, so far no studies have included cultural identity after migration in the equation. This mixed-methods study conducted among Afghan and Iraqi refugee and asylum-seeker psychiatric patients aims to fill this gap. Associations between postmigration stress, symptoms of anxiety and depression disorders, and symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder were significant. When differentiated for the two groups, associations with postmigration stress were no longer significant for Afghan patients, who were predominantly younger and more often single, lower educated, and without resident status compared with Iraqi patients. Qualitative results indicate that, in addition to psychopathology and postmigration stress, acculturation problems contribute to confusion of cultural identity. The findings suggest that reduction of postmigration stress and acculturation problems may clarify cultural identity and as such may contribute to posttraumatic recovery. © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Author Keywords

cultural identity psychopathology Postmigration stress Refugees and asylum seekers trauma

Index Keywords

education confusion Netherlands cultural anthropology Afghanistan depression refugee anxiety disorder Iraqi Social Identification human Refugees middle aged Stress, Psychological mental stress Iraq Depressive Disorder length of stay Anxiety Disorders ethnology qualitative research mental disease asylum seeker Young Adult social status Humans psychology Adolescent male Acculturation female cultural factor Article major clinical study adult posttraumatic stress disorder Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic Loneliness disease association Afghan social behavior
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85062656602&doi=10.1097%2fNMD.0000000000000935&partnerID=40&md5=3da5737ba0823af3e75acd9e0faf988a
DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0000000000000935
ISSN: 00223018
Original Language: English