Outcome of psychosis in people of African-Caribbean family origin. Population-based first-episode study.
BACKGROUND
An increased incidence of psychotic disorders has repeatedly been reported among African-Caribbeans in the UK.


OBJECTIVE
To test whether the increased incidence of psychotic disorders in first- and second-generation African-Caribbeans in the UK could be caused by a relative excess of affective-related psychoses with good prognosis.


METHODS
Thirty-three patients of African-Caribbean family origin identified in a population-based study of first-episode psychoses were compared with the remaining cases. Three-year outcomes and patterns of course were compared.


RESULTS
There was a trend for better outcomes in African-Caribbean patients for symptoms and social disability, but patterns of course were similar (odds ratio = 0.9 (0.50 to 2.00)) [corrected]. Pattern of course improved after adjustment for confounding by gender, social class, age, diagnosis and duration of untreated illness (odds ratio = 0.59 (0.21 to 1.66)) [corrected]. Diagnostic profiles were similar, with no evidence of greater diagnostic instability in the African-Caribbean group.


CONCLUSIONS
Pattern of course of psychosis did not differ significantly by ethnic family background. An excess of good-prognosis affective psychoses is an unlikely explanation for increased rates of psychosis in African-Caribbeans.
Harrison
G
G
Division of Psychiatry, University of Bristol, UK.
Amin
S
S
Singh
S P
SP
Croudace
T
T
Jones
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014900:West Indies / Q000208:ethnology