Incidence and outcome of schizophrenia in whites, African-Caribbeans and Asians in London.

Background: Several previous studies have indicated high rates of schizophrenia in African-Caribbeans in the UK compared to White population.

Method: All people aged 18 to 64 years residing in two health districts in London who made contact with hospital or community services over a 1-year (Whites) or 2-year (ethnic minorities) period were screened for psychotic symptoms.

Results: One hundred and twenty-three patients passed the screen, of whom 100 were assigned a schizophrenic class by the CATEGO program. Of these, 38 were White, 38 African-Caribbean and 24 Asian. The incidence rate for broad schizophrenia was significantly higher for African-Caribbeans than for Whites. Asians showed a high rate among people age 30 and over, particularly women. Poor outcome at 1-year follow-up was significantly more common for African-Caribbeans than for the other two groups. The proportion of African-Caribbeans with a poor outcome was two and a half times greater than that of Whites. On a range of seven socio-demographic variables, African-Caribbeans differed from the other two groups only on unemployment.

Conclusions: A multitide of factors play a role in the aetiology of schizophrenia. Comparison of environmental factors in these groups may identify factors that contribute to the aetiology of schizophrenia.