Clinical Practice and Epidemiology in Mental Health
Volume 8, 2012, Pages 175-179

Could hypomanic traits explain selective migration? Verifying the hypothesis by the surveys on Sardinian migrants (Article) (Open Access)

Giovanni C.M.* , Francesca M.M. , Viviane K. , Brasesco M.V. , Bhat K.M. , Matthias A.C. , Akiskal H.S.
  • a Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • b Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
  • c Ecole de Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, Paris Rennes, France
  • d University of California at San Diego, V.A. Medical Center - Psychiatry (116A), 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, United States
  • e Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Texas, Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
  • f Department of Public Health and Clinical and Molecular Medicine, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy, Centre for Public Mental Health, Gösing am Wagram, Austria
  • g University of California at San Diego, V.A. Medical Center - Psychiatry (116A), 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA 92161, United States

Abstract

Introduction: A recent survey put forward the hypothesis that the emigration that occurred from Sardinia from the 1960's to the 1980's, selected people with a hypomanic temperament. The paper aims to verify if the people who migrated from Sardinia in that period have shown a high risk of mood disorders in the surveys carried out in their host countries, and if the results are consistent with this hypothesis. Methods: This is systematic review. Results: In the 1970's when examining the attitudes towards migration in Sardinian couples waiting to emigrate, Rudas found that the decision to emigrate was principally taken by males. Female showed lower self-esteem than male emigrants. A study on Sardinian immigrants in Argentina carried out in 2001-02, at the peak of the economic crisis, found a high risk of depressive disorders in women only. These results were opposite to the findings recorded ten years earlier in a survey on Sardinian immigrants in Paris, where the risk of Depressive Episode was higher in young men only. Discussion: Data point to a bipolar disorder risk for young (probably hypomanic) male migrants in competitive, challenging conditions; and a different kind of depressive episodes for women in trying economic conditions. The results of the survey on Sardinian migrants are partially in agreement with the hypothesis of a selective migration of people with a hypomanic temperament. Early motivations and self-esteem seem related to the ways mood disorders are expressed, and to the vulnerability to specific triggering situations in the host country. © Giovanni et al.; Licensee Bentham Open.

Author Keywords

Migration Gender difference Sardinia Hypomanic Temperament Goal Striving Stress bipolar disorder

Index Keywords

sex difference depression risk factor PsycINFO Argentina economics Medline self esteem hypomania systematic review Article France human migration
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84878125400&doi=10.2174%2f1745017901208010175&partnerID=40&md5=6085d952b7195ec62b051d8f1f089678
DOI: 10.2174/1745017901208010175
ISSN: 17450179
Cited by: 4
Original Language: English