Social factors 'cause ethnic schizophrenia'
BBC News Online: Health June 22, 2002
Schizophrenia rates are high among African-Caribbeans
Unemployment and early separation from both parents may be key factors behind
the higher rates of schizophrenia in British African-Caribbeans, research
suggests.
Rates of schizophrenia are up to twice as high among this sector of the
population.
The study by the Centre for Caribbean Medicine at King's College London suggests
the main reasons may be social.
The researchers compared rates of schizophrenia among African-Caribbeans in
London with those in Trinidad and Barbados.
They found that the rate was much higher in the UK - strongly suggesting that
social, rather than genetic factors played an important role.
They went on to find that UK African-Caribbeans who had been separated from one
or both parents for four years or more during childhood were more likely to
develop schizophrenia.
A similar link was also seen with unemployment in British Afro-Caribbeans.
'Strain'
Dr Rosemarie Mallet, a medical sociologist based at King's
College Institute of Psychiatry and lead author of the paper, said: "This
research highlights the significance of social disadvantage as a cause of severe
mental illness.
"It's important we find out why this disease is more prevalent in this ethnic
group, not least because of the distress it causes to patients and relatives in
this disadvantaged section of the population.
"The knock-on effect of the increased rate is a greater strain on psychiatric
services in London and inner city hospitals.
"Plus, on another level, finding out the cause of the disease in African-Caribbeans
will help us to understand it better in all populations, because it is clear
that schizophrenia isn't just down to poor genetics or neuro-developmental
patterns."
Professor Roger Jones, UK Executive Director of the Centre for Caribbean
Medicine, said: "There are large communities of African-Caribbeans around King's
College in south London and we believe we have an obligation to investigate the
health inequalities that can occur in them."
The research will be published in the journal Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric
Epidemiology.
Source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/health/newsid_2057000/2057205.stm
Schizophrenia in UK African-Caribbeans "Due to Social Factors"
Health Media Ltd - June 19, 2002
Dr Rosemarie Mallet, a medical sociologist from The Centre for Caribbean
Medicine, King's College London, says the findings highlight the significance of
social disadvantage as a cause of severe mental illness.
Earlier studies suggested that twice as many African-Caribbeans in the UK
develop schizophrenia compared to white people with similar backgrounds.
In addition, Dr Mallet's work showed that rates of the mental disorder were
significantly lower in the Caribbean population in Trinidad and Barbados than in
London's African-Caribbeans. This, he said, suggested that social and
environmental factors were responsible for the high UK rates.
Dr Mallet's following investigations found that UK African-Caribbeans who had
been separated from one or both parents for four years or more during childhood
were more likely to develop schizophrenia. A similar link was also seen with
unemployment in UK African-Caribbeans.
"It's important we find out why this disease is more prevalent in this ethnic
group, not least because of the distress it causes to patients and relatives in
this disadvantaged section of the population," he says. "The knock-on effect of
the increased rate is a greater strain on psychiatric services in London and
inner city hospitals."
Furthermore, finding out the cause of the disease in African-Caribbeans will
help doctors understand it better in all populations, because it is clear that
schizophrenia is not just down to poor genetics or neuro-developmental patterns,
says Dr Mallet.
The study is due to be published in the journal Social Psychiatry & Psychiatric
Epidemiology.
Source:
Psychport.com
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