Somatization and Coping in Ethnic Minority Recruits
Abstract
Military service can have beneficial social effects on minorities. However, minority groups are also often at greater risk of somatizing psychological distress and coping maladaptively. In military training this would result in lower mental health of minorities and contribute to higher drop-out rates. We thus examined if recruits with different ethnocultural backgrounds report different somatization levels and coping styles. Seven hundred and forty male recruits of the Swiss Armed Forces aged 18-26 took part in a cross-sectional study during basic training. Participants filled out self-rating questionnaires covering sociodemographics, somatization (SCL-90-R), coping styles (INCOPE-2), and social support (F-SozU). The recruits' ethnic self-identification was used to compare three groups: native Swiss (89%); Turkish or Balkan minority (5%); heterogeneous ethnic minority (6%). Group differences in somatization scores were tested with a Kruskal-Wallis test; group differences in coping styles were tested with a multivariate ANCOVA, controlling for the level of social support experienced. Recruits from the heterogeneous ethnic minority group reported significantly greater levels of somatization than their native Swiss comrades. Copin...Continue Reading
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