ABSTRACT– This article is based on intensive interviews made with 75 Turkish migrant women living in Denmark. The interviews were conducted in the women's own homes, in their own language, and special care was taken to establish an atmosphere of confidence. The methodological problems involved in this kind of research are discussed. The purpose of the study was to obtain information on the women's own evaluation of their physical, psychological and social conditions in the host country‐ Only 8 % of the informants reported that they were in good health. The remaining had complaints of somatic character and considered themselves as being ill. There were no cases of severe psychopathology. The background of the women's illnesses is analysed at three levels: the physical, the psschosocial and the cultural levels respectively, in an attempt to elucidate their multifactorial etiology as well as to give a more comprehensive picture of the meaning of illness in a societal context. Copyright © 1985, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved

somatization psychosomatic reactions Cross‐cultural psychiatry migrant women

cultural anthropology central nervous system psychological aspect psychosomatics human Denmark ethnic group social aspect priority journal geographic distribution gender identity health female Psychophysiologic Disorders adult migration Turkey ethnic or racial aspects Transients and Migrants Somatoform Disorders Culture