Abstract
Migrants tend not to use the public health system for addictive disorders. Frequently quoted reasons for the limited access are language barriers and fear of loosing the right of residence. We examined explanatory models for addictive disorders among ethnic German migrants from the former Soviet Union, migrants from Turkey and native Germans with semi-structured interviews and with methods for the assessment of semantic structures such as free listings, pile sorts and multidimensional clustering. The results confirmed differences in explanatory models of addictive behavior, which may contribute to misunderstandings in communication with professionals. Turkish youth and ethnic Germans from the former Soviet Union tended to overestimate their abilities to control drugs of abuse, a feeling that may contribute to delayed contact with the professional health care system. Migrants from the former Soviet Union were particularly concerned that contact with psychiatric or psychotherapeutic institutions may cause stigmatization and social exclusion. Furthermore, we observed culturally different expectations regarding adequate and effective treatment options. These findings suggest that in order to avoid misunderstandings, professionals who work with migrants should explore and discuss cultural differences in explanatory models of the development and maintenance of addictive behavior.
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