IJE Advance Access originally published online on May 21, 2007
International Journal of Epidemiology 2007 36(4):761-768; doi:10.1093/ije/dym085
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Discrimination and the incidence of psychotic disorders among ethnic minorities in The Netherlands
1Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, The Hague, The Netherlands.
2Erasmus Medical Center, Department of Public Health, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
3Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Department of Psychiatry, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
4Columbia University, Department of Epidemiology, New York, NY, USA.
5New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
6University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, The Netherlands.
* Corresponding author. Parnassia Psychiatric Institute, Department of Research, Mangostraat 15, 2552 KS The Hague, The Netherlands. E-mail: w.veling{at}parnassia.nl
 |
Abstract |
|---|
Background It is well established now that the incidence of schizophrenia is extremely high for several ethnic minority groups in western Europe, but there is considerable variation among groups. We investigated whether the increased risk among these groups depends upon the degree to which they perceive discrimination based on race or ethnicity.
Methods We studied the incidence of psychotic disorders over 7 years in The Hague, a city with a large and diverse population of ethnic minorities. To compare the incidence of schizophrenic disorders (DSM IV: schizophrenia, schizophreniform disorder, schizoaffective disorder) in each ethnic minority group with the incidence in native Dutch, we computed incidence rate ratios (IRRs). Based on a population study and on rates of reported incidents of discrimination in The Hague, the degree of perceived discrimination of ethnic minority groups was rated: high (Morocco), medium (Netherlands-Antilles, Surinam and ‘other non-western countries’), low (Turkey) or very low (‘western or westernized countries’).
Results The age- and gender-adjusted IRRs of schizophrenic disorders for ethnic minority groups exposed to high, medium, low, and very low discrimination were 4.00 (95% CI 3.00–5.35), 1.99 (1.58–2.51), 1.58 (1.10–2.27), and 1.20 (0.81–1.90), respectively. When not only schizophrenic, but all psychotic disorders were included in the analysis, the results were similar.
Conclusions These results suggest that discrimination perceived by ethnic minority groups in western Europe, or some factor closely related to it, may contribute to their increased risk of schizophrenia.
Keywords Schizophrenia, incidence, ethnic groups, discrimination
Accepted 22 March 2007
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  R. van Winkel, N. C. Stefanis, and I. Myin-Germeys Psychosocial Stress and Psychosis. A Review of the Neurobiological Mechanisms and the Evidence for Gene-Stress Interaction Schizophr Bull, August 20, 2008; (2008) sbn101v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. P. Bentall and C. Fernyhough Social Predictors of Psychotic Experiences: Specificity and Psychological Mechanisms Schizophr Bull, August 14, 2008; (2008) sbn103v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M.-L. Essink-Bot and K. Stronks Immigrants in areas of low immigrant density have a greater incidence of psychotic disorders than native Dutch Evid. Based Ment. Health, August 1, 2008; 11(3): 94 - 94. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. March, S. L. Hatch, C. Morgan, J. B. Kirkbride, M. Bresnahan, P. Fearon, and E. Susser Psychosis and Place Epidemiol. Rev., July 30, 2008; (2008) mxn006v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Corcoran, M. Perrin, S. Harlap, L. Deutsch, S. Fennig, O. Manor, D. Nahon, D. Kimhy, D. Malaspina, and E. Susser Incidence of Schizophrenia Among Second-Generation Immigrants in the Jerusalem Perinatal Cohort Schizophr Bull, July 22, 2008; (2008) sbn089v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. B. Kirkbride, D. Barker, F. Cowden, R. Stamps, M. Yang, P. B. Jones, and J. W. Coid Psychoses, ethnicity and socio-economic status The British Journal of Psychiatry, July 1, 2008; 193(1): 18 - 24. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Cooper, C. Morgan, M. Byrne, P. Dazzan, K. Morgan, G. Hutchinson, G. A. Doody, G. Harrison, J. Leff, P. Jones, et al. Perceptions of disadvantage, ethnicity and psychosis The British Journal of Psychiatry, March 1, 2008; 192(3): 185 - 190. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W. Veling, E. Susser, J. van Os, J. P. Mackenbach, J.-P. Selten, and H. W. Hoek Ethnic Density of Neighborhoods and Incidence of Psychotic Disorders Among Immigrants Am J Psychiatry, January 1, 2008; 165(1): 66 - 73. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Ebrahim Shock and awe: waking the dead Int. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2007; 36(4): 701 - 702. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
V. Patel and A. Goodman Researching protective and promotive factors in mental health Int. J. Epidemiol., August 1, 2007; 36(4): 703 - 707. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|