Objective: Analysis of the health care utilisation of migrants with mental disorders compared to Germans with mental disorders under consideration of migration-related and socio-economic factors.
Methods: Reanalysis of the supplement survey "Mental Disorders" of the "German Health Survey" 1998 with a matched sample of migrants (n = 151) and Germans (n = 151) with a positive 12-month prevalence of mental disorders.
Results: Regarding the prevalence rates for mental disorders and health care utilisation no differences in the sample between Germans and migrants could be found.
Conclusions: The migration background alone does not explain the differences in health care utilisation which are found in many studies. It is assumed, that differences arise multifactorial, and can be explained through migration-related factors but especially through socio-economic factors. To provide a better understanding of health care utilisation of migrants it might be necessary to set the focus on socio-economic factors. In addition a differentiated measurement of cultural and migration-related factors is needed in future studies.
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