Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Health and emigration: subjective evaluation of health status and physical symptoms in Russian-speaking migrants B.D. Kirkcaldy 1 , R.G. Siefen 2 , U. Wittig 3 , A. Schüller 4 , E. Brähler 5 and M. Merbach 6 1 Institute for the Study of Occupational and Mental Health, Haydnstr. 61, 40593 Düsseldorf, Germany 2 Westfalia Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Haltener Str. 525, 43770 Marl-Sinsen, Germany 3,4,5,6 University Clinic of Leipzig, Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany For reprints: Diplom. Psychol. Martin Merbach, University Clinic of Leipzig, Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Philipp-Rosenthal- Strasse 55, 04103 Leipzig, Germany Tel.: ++49/341/9718814, Fax: ++49/341/9718809. E-mail: Martin.Merbach@medizin.uni-leipzig.de Stress and Health Stress and Health 21: 295–309 (2005) Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI: 10.1002/smi.1068 Received 12 July 2004 Revised 14 June 2005 Accepted 4 August 2005 Abstract This is a longitudinal study exploring self-reported health status and physical symptoms of Russian-speaking migrants (n = 307) from the states formed after the break up of the Soviet Union. These health status reports were compared with Russians in Russia (n = 300) and non-immigrant native German test subjects (n = 310). Focus was on the change in subjective evaluation of phys- ical health and adaptation to a new medical health care system as part of the acculturation process following migration. Migrants have more health problems than both the Russians and the native population. In addi- tion to the stress triggered by the critical life event of migration, this finding may also reflect the poorer health status and health care in the countries of origin. In particular, immigrants suffer from headaches and symptoms of exhaustion, which are interpreted as physical correlates of the cognitive overload caused by migration. The subjective state of health of the migrants within the first 18–24 months after arrival (N = 138) showed hardly any changes. However, a high degree of satisfaction with life in the adopted country and an acculturation style distinguished by contact with the host culture correlate to a low level of health problems. The social implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Introduction Estimates from the United Nations suggest that, worldwide, citizens who were not living in their country of birth had risen from 75 million to 120 million in the quarter of a century after 1965, and in the decade between 1990–2000 the figure was Key Words migration, acculturation, health, ethnic German immigrants, longitudinal study