Prevalence of Mental Disorders and Health Service Utilization among Individuals with Turkish Migration Backgrounds in Germany: A Study Protocol for an Epidemiological Investigation

Background: There is a lack of reliable epidemiological data on prevalence and comorbidity rates of mental disorders in the migrant population in Germany. Despite existing national and international data on the extent of psychosocial burdens in migrant populations the prevalence among the study population remains unclear. The aim of this study was to collect prevalence data for the largest migrant population in Germany-individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds—using a culturally and linguistically sensitive approach. Methods: The study employs a cross-sectional design. The multi-centre study (Hamburg, Berlin) is based on a sample of individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds living in the two cities stratified by age, gender, and education. The study programme consists of three phases: 1) a qualitative focus group to collect information on how to increase the participation rate of the target population as a minority group in Germany; 2) a translation phase to create culture and linguistic sensitive versions of the assessment tools (e.g., the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) for Turkish speaking individuals; and 3) a baseline community study to assess the lifetime, 12-month and four-week prevalence and comorThese authors contributed equally to this work. Corresponding author. M. Mösko & D. Dingoyan et al. 238 bidity rates of mental disorder, health care utilization and help-seeking behaviour in individuals of Turkish migration backgrounds living in Germany. Discussion: The study provides important data on the lifetime prevalence of mental disorders and health care utilization of individuals with Turkish migration backgrounds. Furthermore, the study is an important step towards gaining a better understanding of potential barriers to participation, creating resources for difficult-toreach minorities, and understanding the need for assessing mental disorders in migrant populations. These results can offer a starting point for the initiation of the necessary structural changes for mental health care services and policies for groups with migration backgrounds.