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Psychosis, migration and social environment: an age-and-gender controlled study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

P. Fossion ,
L. Servais ,
M.-C. Rejas ,
Y. Ledoux ,
I. Pelc  and
P. Minner
P. Fossion*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brugmann University Hospital, CHU Brugmann, 4, place Van Gehuchten, 1020 Brussels, Belgium
L. Servais
Affiliation:
Centre Hospitalier Jean Titeca, 11 rue de la Luzerne, 1030Brussels, Belgium
M.-C. Rejas
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brugmann University Hospital, CHU Brugmann, 4, place Van Gehuchten, 1020 Brussels, Belgium
Y. Ledoux
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brugmann University Hospital, CHU Brugmann, 4, place Van Gehuchten, 1020 Brussels, Belgium
I. Pelc
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brugmann University Hospital, CHU Brugmann, 4, place Van Gehuchten, 1020 Brussels, Belgium
P. Minner
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Brugmann University Hospital, CHU Brugmann, 4, place Van Gehuchten, 1020 Brussels, Belgium
*
*Corresponding author. Email address: pierre.fossion@chu-brugmann.be (P. Fossion).
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Abstract

Purpose

Adverse social experiences are frequently invoked to explain the higher rate of psychosis among migrant groups. The aim of the present study was to establish the socio-environmental factors distinguishing migrant psychotic patients from autochthonous patients.

Subjects and method

We conducted a cross-sectional survey involving 341 migrant psychotic patients matched for age and gender with 341 autochthonous psychotic patients.

Results

Migrant patients lived more often with their parental family, were less often enrolled with a referral psychiatrist, presented a lower rate of employment, a lower percentage of alcohol misuse and of suicide attempts.

Discussion

Our findings add to the growing body of results showing that more attention needs to be focused on socio-environmental variables in psychosis research. However, several limitations have to be taken into account, particularly with regard to selection biases and age of onset of the psychotic illness.

Conclusion

Our results are compatible with the hypothesis that unemployment is a contributing factor in the risk for psychosis among migrant groups. Migrants’ families are an important keystone in the mental health care process of their sick relatives. Our service models need to be adapted with the aim to make the treatment easier for migrant patients.

Keywords

MigrationPsychosisUnemploymentExtended family structureAccess to care
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , September 2004 , pp. 338 - 343
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 European Psychiatric Association

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