American Journal of Psychiatry
Volume 159, Issue 4, 2002, Pages 669-671

Ødegaard's selection hypothesis revisited: Schizophrenia in Surinamese immigrants to the Netherlands (Article)

Selten J.-P.* , Cantor-Graae E. , Slaets J. , Kahn R.S.
  • a University Medical Center, Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands
  • b University Medical Center, Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands
  • c University Medical Center, Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands
  • d University Medical Center, Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands

Abstract

Objective: The incidence of schizophrenia among Surinamese immigrants to the Netherlands is high. The authors tested Ødegaard's hypothesis that this phenomenon is explained by selective migration. Method: The authors imagined that migration from Surinam to the Netherlands subsumed the entire population of Surinam and not solely individuals at risk for schizophrenia. They compared the risk of a first admission to a Dutch mental hospital for schizophrenia from 1983 to 1992 for Surinamese-born immigrants to the risk for Dutch-born individuals, using the Surinamese-born population in the Netherlands and the population of Surinam combined as the denominator for the immigrants. Results: The age- and sex-adjusted relative risk of schizophrenia for the Surinamese-born immigrants was 1.46. Conclusions: Selective migration cannot solely explain the higher incidence of schizophrenia in Surinamese immigrants to the Netherlands.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

hospital admission Netherlands immigrant schizophrenia risk register human sex difference risk assessment Ethnic Groups priority journal Cross-Sectional Studies Humans Suriname Adolescent male female Incidence Article major clinical study adult Patient Admission mental hospital Emigration and Immigration
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0036212515&doi=10.1176%2fappi.ajp.159.4.669&partnerID=40&md5=dc63a2040a295e1366fe5ef1989ae6cf
DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.159.4.669
ISSN: 0002953X
Cited by: 57
Original Language: English