Recent literature reveals three clusters of findings with respect to schizophrenia in British immigrants: (1) while there are high rates of schizophrenia among many British immigrant groups, the rates are most consistently elevated among British Afro-Caribbeans; (2) there are high rates of compulsory hospital admission, and police contact prior to admission, in British Blacks with schizophrenia; and (3) there may be poorer outcome in Afro-Caribbean schizophrenic patients, when compared to Caucasian and Asian patients. Current explanatory hypotheses point away from genetic theories and highlight environmental factors, including socio-economic disadvantage and racism, as well as family and community responses to psychiatric disorders. © 1998, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.

Caribbean United Kingdom Immigrant compulsory admission Outcome schizophrenia

United Kingdom hospital admission law enforcement immigrant Review social psychology Central America socioeconomics schizophrenia Incidence race difference human