European Psychiatry
Volume 10, Issue 5, 1995, Pages 237-244

Immigration and psychopathology: a clinical study (Article)

Charalabaki E.* , Bauwens F. , Stefos G. , Madianos M.G. , Mendlewicz J.
  • a Psychiatric Hospital of Athens, 360 Athinon Av, 12462 Dafni, Athens, Greece, Greece
  • b Department of Psychiatry, Free University of Brussels, Erasme Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
  • c Department of Psychiatry, Free University of Brussels, Erasme Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium
  • d Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Athens, 74 Vasilissis Sofias Av, 1523 Athens, Greece
  • e Department of Psychiatry, Free University of Brussels, Erasme Hospital, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Three groups of 342 Greek, Iberian and Belgian psychiatric patients were compared, matched for sex, age, and time of hospitalization in a university hospital in Brussels. Schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder/atypical psychosis were diagnosed more among immigrant patients. Somatic anxiety, loss of libido, delusions and hallucinations were symptoms that clinicians observed more in immigrant than in native patients. Atypical symptomatology and change of diagnosis were more likely to occur among immigrant patients. A higher proportion of second generation immigrant patients had a diagnosis of schizophrenia than either the first generation or the Belgians. Male immigrant patients were prescribed anxiolytic drugs more frequently than male natives, but were less likely to be referred to psychotherapy. The authors query whether these findings derive from specificities in the use of psychiatric services and/or from biases in clinicians'attitudes towards patients of different ethnic origin. © 1995 Elsevier, Paris.

Author Keywords

psychiatric evaluation Immigration Care mental health services

Index Keywords

anxiety symptomatology mental health service schizophrenia immigration human psychosis controlled study priority journal Aged mental health care mental disease Adolescent male female Article major clinical study adult libido delusion hallucination
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0029133632&doi=10.1016%2f0924-9338%2896%2980300-2&partnerID=40&md5=0ec252fb81f73c43281d3f3118403b25
DOI: 10.1016/0924-9338(96)80300-2
ISSN: 09249338
Cited by: 23
Original Language: English