Increased rate of psychosis among African-Caribbeans in Britain is not due to an excess of pregnancy and birth complications.
BACKGROUND
It has been suggested that the increased rate of psychotic illness among African-Caribbeans living in Britain is due to an excess of pregnancy and birth complications (PBCs).


METHODS
We therefore compared the frequency of PBCs in a group of White psychotic patients (n = 103) and a comparable group of patients of African-Caribbean origin (n = 61); the latter consisted of 30 first-generation (born in the Caribbean) and 31 second-generation (born in Britain) individuals.


RESULTS
White psychotic patients were more than twice as likely to have a history of PBCs as their African-Caribbean counterparts (odds ratio = 2.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.88-6.47, P = 0.062). The same trend was observed among patients with a DSM-III diagnosis of schizophrenia (odds ratio = 1.65, 95% CI 0.56-4.97, P = 0.32). The rate of PBCs was similar among the first- and second-generation Caribbean psychotic patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The increased rate of psychotic illness that has been reported among the African-Caribbean population in Britain is not due to an increased prevalence of PBCs.
Hutchinson
G
G
Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London.
Takei
N
N
Bhugra
D
D
Fahy
T A
TA
Gilvarry
C
C
Mallett
R
R
Moran
P
P
Leff
J
J
Murray
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D001720:Birth Injuries / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D014900:West Indies / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data