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Objective The aim of the study was to examine real differences in the use of psychotherapy in the New Federal States during the GDR era and today. In addition, differences according to the willingness seeking psychotherapy as well as barriers in opinions and contact to the mentally ill between people from the New Federal States, the Old Federal States and people who moved from the New Federal States to the Old Federal States (internal migrants) should be recorded, taking into account generational effects (experience of the Cold War - birth before / after January 1 st , 1980). Methods To investigate these questions, the data from a representative survey in the New Federal States of N=2729 people as well as the data from a second online based survey of people from the New and Old Federal States as well as internal migrants with a total of N=4789 participants were evaluated.Results There was a prevalence of 1% for the use of psychotherapy during the GDR era. Overall, the prevalence of therapy experiences among people who experienced the GDR and were born before January 1 st in 1980 was almost 13%. They also reported greater willingness seeking help for mental suffering since the end of the Cold War. The prevalence among younger people was about 12%. In the second survey, there were significant differences, among the older respondents. East Germans today and even during the GDR era were less willing to seek psychotherapy for mental suffering, they also have less contact to mentally ill people. Differences according to desires for distance from mentally ill people, self stigmatization in the presence of a mental illness and discrimination against mentally ill people emerged between East Germans, West Germans and internal migrants depending on generational affiliation.Discussion Barriers that prevent the use of psychotherapy should be taken into account on a generational and socialization specific basis. Socialization as a relevant factor might explain a lack of willingness to utilize psychotherapy amongst people that experienced the GDR era and still live in the new Federal States., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

In the light of increasingly loud and highly visible public protests against protective measures and policies against COVID-19, the concept of conspirituality has recently gained a lot of attention. It is used to theoretically grasp the ideological glue of the heterogeneous milieu of protesters. The aim of this article is twofold. First, we show how, in conspirituality, elements of conspiracy beliefs are intertwined with esoteric-spiritual ideas. Going back to occultic milieus, these worldviews are then diffused and slowly popularized. Second, using depth-hermeneutic analyses of a biographical interview with a protest participant, we show that fragments of ideology are ingested in an idiosyncratic manner and interlaced with existing subjective interpretive patterns. This will further reveal the fundamental insecurities caused by the pandemic itself and by the political attempts to deal with its effects. Against this background, we conclude that conspirituality serves as a pattern of 'crooked cure', mitigating inner conflicts (co-)produced by society. This is achieved by protectively ascribing unbearable affects, ambivalences, and anxieties, but also unfulfilled desires of harmony, security, and comfort either to nature or to malignant conspirators., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Aim: The aim of the present study was to determine, if internal German migration was associated with mental distress, somatoform symptoms, depression, and anxiety., Methods: Data from two representative studies from 2020 and 2021 were analysed (N=4922). Mental distress, including the dimensions somatoform symptoms, depression, and anxiety, was assessed with the short version of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18). Linear regression analyses were performed to examine associations between internal migration and mental distress while controlling for sociodemographic factors (gender, age, partner, household equivalised income, and education)., Results: Internal migrants from East to West Germany reported more mental distress, somatoform symptoms, depression, and anxiety than those who grew up and stayed in the East. This finding remained after controlling for sociodemographic factors. No differences were found between internal migrants from West to East Germany and those who grew up and stayed in West Germany., Discussion: German internal migration should be taken into account when examining differences in mental health in East and West Germany. Our results suggest that particularly the group that had moved from the Eastern to the Western part of Germany reported significantly signs of mental distress., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt vorliegt., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Objective: Investigating the effects of internal migration on somatoform complaints (GBB-8) as well as psychological distress (PHQ-4; captures symptoms of anxiety and depression)., Methods: A representative sample from 2019 is used and divided into four groups (West, East, East-West, West-East). A variance analysis was conducted., Results: The West group reports significantly more distress and somatoform symptoms than the East group. The group East-West report significantly more distress and somatoform complaints., Conclusion: The influence of internal migration, especially from East to West Germany, should be considered in future studies., Competing Interests: Die Autorinnen/Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)