Child psychiatric disorders and family dysfunction in migrant workers' and military families

Migrant adaptation was studied in children and families of French soldiers and of Greek and Turkish migrant workers in West Berlin. In addition, a German control group was investigated. All four samples were matched with regard to sex and age of the children. Psychiatric morbidity differed significantly between the migrant groups. Disturbed parental behaviour and impaired maternal health clearly correlated with psychiatric disturbance in the children in samples. Cultural rather than socioeconomic factors seemed to be most influential with regard to psychosocial adaptation.