Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-wq484 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T21:01:09.881Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Country of birth and hospital admission rates for mental disorders: a cohort study of 4.5 million men and women in Sweden

Sources of support: This work was supported by the Swedish Research Council (Grant No. K2004-21X-11651-09A), the National Institutes of Health (Grant No. R01-H271084-1), and the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 April 2020

J. Westman ,
L.M. Johansson  and
K. Sundquist
J. Westman*
Affiliation:
Centre for Family Medicine, Karolinska Institute, MigraMed, Alfred-Nobels allé 12, Huddinge, Sweden
L.M. Johansson
Affiliation:
Centre for Family Medicine, Karolinska Institute, MigraMed, Alfred-Nobels allé 12, Huddinge, Sweden
K. Sundquist
Affiliation:
Centre for Family Medicine, Karolinska Institute, MigraMed, Alfred-Nobels allé 12, Huddinge, Sweden
*
*Corresponding author. E-mail address: jeanette.westman@ki.se (J. Westman).
Get access

Abstract

This study analysed the association between country of birth and psychotic, affective, and neurotic disorders in seven immigrant categories, after adjustment for demographic and socioeconomic factors. A 2-year national cohort study of 4.5 million individuals in the age group 25–64 years was performed. Swedish national registers including individual demographic and socioeconomic data were linked to the hospital discharge register. Cox regression was used in the analysis. Several groups of immigrants, both men and women, had risks of hospital admission for psychotic, affective, or neurotic disorders compared to the Swedish-born reference group. The impact of demographic and socioeconomic factors on these risks seemed to be larger for men than for women. For foreign-born men, several of the risks no longer remained significant after adjustment for income and marital status. In contrast, most of the risks for foreign-born women remained significant after adjustment for income and marital status. Low income and being single were associated with an increased risk of psychiatric hospital admission. These results represent important knowledge for clinicians and public health planners who are involved in treatment and prevention of mental disorders among certain groups of immigrants, and among low income men and women irrespective of immigrant status.

Keywords

Country of birthGenderSocioeconomic statusMental disorders
Type
Original articles
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 21 , Issue 5 , July 2006 , pp. 307 - 314
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier SAS 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Amann, G.Social network and social support deficits in depressed patients: a result of distorted perception?. Eur. Arch. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci 1991;241(1):49–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bhui, K., Abdi, A., Abdi, M., Pereira, S., Dualeh, M., Robertson, D., Sathyamoorthy, G., Ismail, H.Traumatic events, migration characteristics and psychiatric symptoms among Somali refugees—preliminary communication. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol 2003;38(1):35–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boardman, A.P., Hodgson, R.E., Lewis, M., Allen, K.Social indicators and the prediction of psychiatric admission in different diagnostic groups. Br. J. Psychiatry 1997;171:457–462.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyd, M.G.E.Triumphant transitions: socioeconomic achievements of the second generation in Canada. Int. Migr. Rev 1998;32(4):853–876.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bromberger, J.T., Harlow, S., Avis, N., Kravitz, H.M., Cordal, A.Racial/ethnic differences in the prevalence of depressive symptoms among middle-aged women: the study of women’s health across the Nation (SWAN). Am. J. Public Health 2004;94(8):1378–1385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bruxner, G., Burvill, P., Fazio, S., Febbo, S.Aspects of psychiatric admissions of migrants to hospitals in Perth, Western Australia. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry 1997;31(4):532–542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cantor-Graae, E., Pedersen, C.B., McNeil, T.F., Mortensen, P.B.Migration as a risk factor for schizophrenia: a Danish population-based cohort study. Br. J. Psychiatry 2003;182:117–122.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cantor-Graae, E., Selten, J.P.Schizophrenia and migration: a meta-analysis and review. Am. J. Psychiatry 2005;162(1):12–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Den Velde, W.O., Hovens, J.E., Bramsen, I., McFarlane, A.C., Aarts, P.G., Falger, P.R., de Groen, J.H., van Duijn, H.A cross-national study of post-traumatic stress disorder in Dutch–Australian immigrants. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry 2000;34(6):919–928.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dohrenwend, B.P., Levav, I., Shrout, P.E., Schwartz, S., Naveh, G., Link, B.G., Skodol, A.E., Stueve, A.Socioeconomic status and psychiatric disorders: the causation-selection issue. Science 1992;255(5047):946–952.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gilvarry, C.M., Walsh, E., Samele, C., Hutchinson, G., Mallett, R., Rabe-Hesketh, S., Fahy, T., van Os, J., Murray, R.M.Life events, ethnicity and perceptions of discrimination in patients with severe mental illness. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol 1999;34(11):600–608.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrison, G., Glazebrook, C., Brewin, J., Cantwell, R., Dalkin, T., Fox, R., Jones, P., Medley, I.Increased incidence of psychotic disorders in migrants from the Caribbean to the United Kingdom. Psychol. Med 1997;27(4):799–806.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hjern, A., Wicks, S., Dalman, C.Social adversity contributes to high morbidity in psychoses in immigrants—a National cohort study in two generations of Swedish residents. Psychol. Med 2004;34(6):1025–1033.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International organization for migration. World migration report 2003—Managing Migration—challenges and responses for people on the move. 2003: Geneva.Google Scholar
Janssen, I., Hanssen, M., Bak, M., Bijl, R.V., de Graaf, R., Vollebergh, W., McKenzie, K., van Os, J.Discrimination and delusional ideation. Br. J. Psychiatry 2003;182:71–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Karlsen, S., Nazroo, J.Y.Relation between racial discrimination, social class, and health among ethnic minority groups. Am. J. Public Health 2002;92(4):624–631.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaufman, J.S., Cooper, R.S., McGee, D.L.Socioeconomic status and health in blacks and whites: the problem of residual confounding and the resiliency of race. Epidemiology 1997;8(6):621–628.Google ScholarPubMed
King, M., Coker, E., Leavey, G., Hoare, A., Johnson-Sabine, E.Incidence of psychotic illness in London: comparison of ethnic groups. BMJ 1994;309(6962):1115–1119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kiropoulos, L.A., Klimidis, S., Minas, H.Depression and anxiety: a comparison of older-aged Greek-born immigrants and Anglo-Australians. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry 2004;38(9):714–724.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kleinbaum, D.G.Survival analysis. New York: Springer; 1995.Google Scholar
Maani, S.A.Are young first and second-generation immigrants at a disadvantage in the Australian labour market?. Int. Migr. Rev 1994;28(4):865–882.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKenzie, K., van Os, J., Fahy, T., Jones, P., Harvey, I., Toone, B., Murray, R.Psychosis with good prognosis in Afro-Caribbean people now living in the United Kingdom. BMJ 1995;311(7016):1325–1328.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poulton, R., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T.E., Cannon, M., Murray, R., Harrington, H.Children’s self-reported psychotic symptoms and adult schizophreniform disorder: a 15-year longitudinal study. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2000;57(11):1053–1058.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Selten, J.P., Slaets, J.P., Kahn, R.S.Schizophrenia in Surinamese and Dutch Antillean immigrants to The Netherlands: evidence of an increased incidence. Psychol. Med 1997;27(4):807–811.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Selten, J.P., Veen, N., Feller, W., Blom, J.D., Schols, D., Camoenie, W.Incidence of psychotic disorders in immigrant groups to The Netherlands. Br. J. Psychiatry 2001;178:367–372.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Statistics Sweden. Statistical yearbook of Sweden 2000. Örebro; 2000.Google Scholar
Strakowski, S.M., Flaum, M., Amador, X., Bracha, H.S., Pandurangi, A.K.Racial differences in the diagnosis of psychosis. Schizophr. Res 1996;21(2):117–124.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sundquist, K., Frank, G., Sundquist, J.Urbanisation and incidence of psychosis and depression: follow-up study of 4.4 million women and men in Sweden. Br. J. Psychiatry 2004;184:293–298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tang, S.S., Fox, S.H.Traumatic experiences and the mental health of Senegalese refugees. J. Nerv. Ment. Dis 2001;189(8):507–512.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, C.S., Stone, K., Osborn, M., Thomas, P.F., Fisher, M.Psychiatric morbidity and compulsory admission among UK-born Europeans, Afro-Caribbean’s and Asians in central Manchester. Br. J. Psychiatry 1993;163:91–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Turner, R.J., Gil, A.G.Psychiatric and substance use disorders in South Florida: racial/ethnic and gender contrasts in a young adult cohort. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2002;59(1):43–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Os, J., Takei, N., Castle, D.J., Wessely, S., Der, G., Murray, R.M.Premorbid abnormalities in mania, schizomania, acute schizophrenia and chronic schizophrenia. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol 1995;30(6):274–278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weitoft, G.R., Gullberg, A., Hjern, A., Rosen, M.Mortality statistics in immigrant research: method for adjusting underestimation of mortality. Int. J. Epidemiol 1999;28(4):756–763.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, D.R.Race, socioeconomic status, and health. The added effects of racism and discrimination. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci 1999;896:173–188.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilmoth, J.M., Chen, P.C.Immigrant status, living arrangements, and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older adults. J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci 2003;58(5):S305–S313.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
World Health Organization. International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). Geneva: World Health Organization; 1992.Google Scholar
Zilber, N., Lerner, Y., Eidelman, R., Kertes, J.Depression and anxiety disorders among Jews from the former Soviet Union five years after their immigration to Israel. Int. J. Geriatr. Psychiatry 2001;16(10):993–999.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zolkowska, K., Cantor-Graae, E., McNeil, T.F.Increased rates of psychosis among immigrants to Sweden: is migration a risk factor for psychosis?. Psychol. Med 2001;31(4):669–678.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.