Mental Health and Health-Seeking Behavior among African Immigrant Women in Türkiye: The Role of Social Support and Implications for Clinical Practice

Purpose This study aimed to examine the relationships between social support, mental well-being, and health-seeking behavior among African immigrant women in Türkiye. It addressed how perceived social support influences psychological health and access to care, with particular attention to potential overreliance on informal networks within a marginalized population. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 226 African immigrant women living in Türkiye. Validated instruments were used to collect data: the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), and Health Seeking Behavior Scale (HSB). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to examine the relationships among variables, and descriptive statistics were used to assess levels of social support, mental well-being, and help-seeking behavior. Results Participants reported moderate social support (M = 4.92), average mental well-being (M = 3.22), and modest health-seeking behavior (M = 3.08). SEM analysis showed that social support significantly improved mental well-being (β = 0.106, p < 0.001) but had a negative association with health-seeking behavior (β = − 0.220, p < 0.001), suggesting that informal networks may sometimes substitute for formal medical care. Conclusion The findings highlight the dual role of social support as both a protective factor and a potential barrier to professional care. Culturally sensitive interventions are needed to integrate formal healthcare services with existing social support systems to improve mental health outcomes among African immigrant women in host settings.