Attitudes towards psychotherapy of young second-generation Turkish immigrants living in Germany

Objective To assess the effect of cultural identification in Turkish immigrants living in Germany on attitudes towards psychotherapy. Methods The approach to psychotherapy of 139 Turkish immigrants and 164 Germans was examined. Results Overall the Turkish population reported a less positive attitude towards psychotherapy in comparison to the German population. The Turkish immigrants with a less traditional cultural background reported a more positive attitude towards psychotherapy when compared to Turkish immigrants of a more Turkish identified traditional cultural background. Conclusion Results suggest that culture-specific factors affect attitudes towards psychotherapy in Turkish immigrants, which indicates a need for intercultural psychotherapeutic education.