Factors related to psychological problems and life satisfaction of newcomer Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands

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Tezin Türü: Doktora

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakültesi, Psikoloji Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2007

Öğrenci: OLGA SELİN HÜNLER

Danışman: TÜLİN GENÇÖZ

Özet:

The aim of this study is to investigate the vulnerability stress model in prediction of the psychological problems and life satisfaction of newcomer Turkish immigrants in the Netherlands. Vulnerability factors were considered to be personal characteristics of immigrants which they had both prior and after to their arrival. Stress factors, on the other hand, were selected based on the immigrants’ experiences after their arrival. Depending upon this distinction, attachment, independent and interdependent self construals, ethnic identity and ethnic self-esteem, religiousness, religious support, and social support were all organised as vulnerability factors. Migration related factors, namely time spent in the Netherlands, level of spoken Dutch, level of socialisation with Dutch natives, level of media use, satisfaction with life in the Netherlands, perceived discrimination, and acculturation orientations were organised as stress factors. Psychological problems of the immigrants were measured by their scores of depression, anxiety, and psychosomatic complaints. The participants of the study were 109 newcomer Turkish immigrants who arrived in the Netherlands after 1998. In the regression analysis that attempted to predict the psychological problems of immigrants, the results revealed several significant effects including gender, host culture acculturation orientation, perceived discrimination, and independent self construals. Furthermore, the interaction of independent self construal and host culture acculturation orientation as well as the interaction of religion and host culture orientation showed significant effects on psychological problems. In the regression analysis to predict life satisfaction, only independent self construal revealed a significant relationship with life satisfaction.