Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde
Volume 145, Issue 34, 2001, Pages 1647-1651

Incidence of schizophrenia in natives and immigrant groups in The Hague [Incidentie van schizofrenie bij autochtonen en allochtonen in Den Haag] (Article)

Selten J.P.* , Veen N.D. , Feller W.G. , Blom J.D. , Hoek H.W. , Kahn R.S.
  • a Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Afd. Psychiatrie, Postbus 85-500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands
  • b Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Afd. Psychiatrie, Postbus 85-500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands
  • c Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Afd. Psychiatrie, Postbus 85-500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands
  • d Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Afd. Psychiatrie, Postbus 85-500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands
  • e Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Afd. Psychiatrie, Postbus 85-500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands
  • f Universitair Medisch Centrum Utrecht, Afd. Psychiatrie, Postbus 85-500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands

Abstract

Objective. To compare the incidence of psychotic disorders in the largest immigrant groups in The Hague, the Netherlands, to that in natives. Design. Prospective. Method. During the period 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1999 an effort was made to examine all residents of The Hague who made a first-in-lifetime contact with a physician for a (suspected) non-organic psychotic disorder. To this end all general practitioners, community psychiatric nurses and psychiatrists (in training) in The Hague were requested to report these patients to the researchers. Using information derived from a diagnostic interview, two psychiatrists, blind for the patient's ethnicity, made a DSM-IV diagnosis. Results. A total of 181 residents made a first contact for a psychotic disorder: 126 male subjects with an average age of 28.3 years (SD: 9.2) and 55 female subjects with an average age of 32.0 years (SD: 9.5). There was an increased relative risk of schizophrenia, schizophreniform or schizoaffective disorder for subjects born in Morocco (4.5; 95%-CI: 2.4-8.5; adjusted for sex and age), Surinam (3.2; 1.8-5.7), the Netherlands Antilles (2.9; 0.9-9.5) and other non-western countries (2.4; 1.3-4.7). The risk was also increased for second generation Moroccans (8.0; 2.6-24.5) and Surinamese (5.5; 2.5-11.9). The risks for Turkish immigrants (first or second generation), and immigrants from western countries were not increased. Conclusion. The incidence of schizophrenia was increased in several, but not all, immigrant groups.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

schizoidism male controlled study Netherlands female major clinical study immigrant geographic distribution risk factor schizophrenia Incidence Article sex ratio human risk assessment ethnic difference psychosis
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0035949034&partnerID=40&md5=97fa27e755a966d7c609d5fedfab4ff4
ISSN: 00282162
Cited by: 5
Original Language: Dutch