Relationship between depression and psychosocial stressors among Iranian migrants

Specific studies on the situation of mentally ill Iranian migrants do not e xist in Germany. Studies from the USA analyze the difference between cultur ally dependent dysphoric affect and clinical depressivity among Iranians. C oal of this study was to discuss specific aspects of migration for depressi on among Iranians. 94 Iranian migrants were interviewed in different settin gs. Half of them met criteria for a depressive disorder, which correlated w ell with the depression scales BDI and HAMD. Depressives showed higher accu lturation problems, immigration stress and social isolation than non-depres sives. Therapy for depressive Iranian migrants should focus more strongly o n barriers of acculturation than on cultural differences in psychopathology .