Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Volume 49, Issue 11, 2014, Pages 1747-1757

The impact of immigration and visible minority status on psychosis symptom profile (Article)

Berg A.O.* , Andreassen O.A. , Aminoff S.R. , Romm K.L. , Hauff E. , Melle I.
  • a Norment, K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, Oslo or Ullevål University Hospital HF, Building 49, Nydalen, 4956, Oslo, 0424, Norway
  • b Norment, K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, Oslo or Ullevål University Hospital HF, Building 49, Nydalen, 4956, Oslo, 0424, Norway, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Department of Research and Development, Oslo University Hospital, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway
  • c Norment, K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, Oslo or Ullevål University Hospital HF, Building 49, Nydalen, 4956, Oslo, 0424, Norway, Division of Mental Health Services, Department of Specialized Inpatient Treatment, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Akershus, Norway
  • d Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Department of Research and Development, Oslo University Hospital, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway
  • e Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Department of Research and Development, Oslo University Hospital, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway, Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo University Hospital, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway
  • f Norment, K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, University of Oslo, Oslo or Ullevål University Hospital HF, Building 49, Nydalen, 4956, Oslo, 0424, Norway, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Department of Research and Development, Oslo University Hospital, Nydalen, Oslo, Norway

Abstract

Purpose: Immigrants have heightened risks of psychotic disorders, and it is proposed that migration influences symptom profiles. The purpose of this study was to investigate if either migration experience and/or visible minority status affected symptom profiles, using a cross-culturally validated five-factor model of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), in patients with broadly defined psychotic disorders.Methods: PANSS was assessed in a large catchment area based sample of patients with psychotic disorders verified with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (n = 1,081). Symptom profiles based on Wallwork et al. five-factor model were compared for Norwegians (73 %), white immigrants (10.5 %), and visible minority groups (16.5 %).Results: Visible minorities were significantly younger, had less education, more often a schizophrenia diagnosis and higher PANSS positive, negative and disorganized/concrete factor scores than Norwegians and white immigrants. After controlling for confounders only the items “Delusions” and “Difficulty in abstract thinking” differed between groups. Multivariate analyses indicated that these items were not associated with immigration per se, but rather belonging to a visible minority.Conclusion: We found mostly similarities in psychotic symptoms between immigrants and Norwegians when using a cross-culturally validated five-factor model of the PANSS. Immigration did not directly influence psychotic symptom profiles but visible minority groups had higher levels of “Delusions” and “Difficulty in abstract thinking”, both symptoms that are partially context dependent. © 2014, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Author Keywords

Ethnic minority Visible minority Symptoms schizophrenia Psychosis Immigration

Index Keywords

Minority Groups male Emigrants and Immigrants Schizophrenic Psychology female Delusions Psychotic Disorders psychological rating scale Humans Psychiatric Status Rating Scales schizophrenia Symptom Assessment minority group Young Adult human adult migrant psychology
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84919835955&doi=10.1007%2fs00127-014-0897-x&partnerID=40&md5=a486a32d1c5128f09876907bab204c76
DOI: 10.1007/s00127-014-0897-x
ISSN: 09337954
Cited by: 12
Original Language: English