Explanatory models of addictive behaviour among native German, Russian-German, and Turkish youth

摘要: In Germany, the public system of addiction treatment is used less by migrants with addictive disorders than their non-migrant counterparts. To date, literature has focused primarily on language, sociocultural factors, and residence status when discussing access barriers to this part health care system. However, little attention been paid cultural differences in explanatory models behaviour. This surprising we consider important role played popular knowledge a population's perceptions responses illnesses, including causes, symptoms, treatment. present study, examined behaviour mental 124 native German und Russian-German youth compared these those observed an earlier study 144 Turkish youth. We employed free listing technique compile terms that participating subjects describe Subsequently, how subset our population assigned respective means pile sort method. Although were surprisingly similar, did not make any fundamental distinction between illegal legal drugs (e.g. alcohol nicotine). regarded eating as "embarrassing" or "disgraceful", but not. Unlike subjects, classify being nature. Moreover, medical concepts crucial proper understanding dependence term "physical dependence") characterised almost half useless describing addictions. These findings show it impossible translate everyday disease properly into different language without considering connotations implications each relates culture. Terms are central Western may otherwise be misunderstood, misinterpreted, simply rejected.