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Racism, psychosis and common mental disorder among ethnic minority groups in England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 September 2005

SAFFRON KARLSEN
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
JAMES Y. NAZROO
Affiliation:
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London
KWAME McKENZIE
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School, University College London
KAMALDEEP BHUI
Affiliation:
Centre for Psychiatry, Barts & The London School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London
SCOTT WEICH
Affiliation:
Division of Health in the Community, Warwick Medical School (LWMS), University of Warwick, UK

Abstract

Background. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between risk of psychosis, common mental disorder (CMD) and indicators of racism among ethnic minority groups in England and how this relationship may vary by particular ethnic groups.

Method. A multivariate analysis was carried out of quantitative, cross-sectional data from a nationally representative community sample of people aged between 16 and 74 years from the largest ethnic minority groups in England: those of Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Irish origin.

Results. Experience of interpersonal racism and perceiving racism in the wider society each have independent effects on the risk of CMD and psychosis, after controlling for the effects of gender, age and socio-economic status. There was some variation in the findings when they were conducted for separate ethnic and gender groups.

Conclusions. An understanding of the relationship between racism and mental health may go some way towards explaining the ethnic variations found in both CMD and, particularly, psychosis.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
2005 Cambridge University Press

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