A nationwide study was carried out comprising 50,877 persons aged 18-66, who were registered in 2003 in the Danish Psychiatric Register or in the National Patient Register with a psychiatric ICD-10 diagnosis.

Of the population 87.1% were ethnic Danes, 7.8% migrants, 4.0% off-springs with one Danish born parent, 0.7% off-springs with both parents born outside Denmark and 0.3% adoptees. Males comprised 49% women 51% of the population.

The 5 ethnic groups had significant differences in utilization of care, diagnostic distribution and use of coercion.

Women had a higher contact rates in all groups apart from migrants.

The contact rate among persons of Middle Eastern background was relatively low.

Patients with a non-Danish background were more frequently non-voluntarily admitted and had significantly more frequently contact with services due to a forensic measures.

Substance abuse was higher among men in all ethnic groups.

Contacts due to schizophrenia were higher among non-Danish patients and highest among young off-spring males.

Self-mutilating behaviour was seen more frequently among female off-springs from non-Western countries than among migrant women from non-Western countries.

The paper will analyse selected significant differences among the ethnic groups.