title: Comparative exposure to antipsychotic medications in immigrant and native-born populations of a Spanish health region.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Raised rates of psychoses among ethnic minorities have been reported. Exposure to antipsychotic medications can give information on mental illness management and ethnic-related differences.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare exposure to antipsychotic medications in immigrant and native-born populations in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive cross-sectional study of the dispensation of antipsychotic medications to the population aged 15 to 64years, in a Spanish Health Region during 2008.
  
  
  RESULTS
  1.9% of the native-born population was exposed to antipsychotic medications as compared to 0.4% of the immigrant population. Native-born women were exposed from 1.8 to 5.3 times more and native-born men from 3.6 to 6.3 times more than immigrants of the same gender. The least exposed were persons from Eastern Europe and men from sub-Saharan Africa. Active ingredients prescribed were similar between the two groups. Of the immigrant group, 15.7% were admitted to a psychiatric ward as compared to 6.4% of the native-born population. In the former, non-specific diagnoses were predominant.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  All immigrant groups had lower exposure to antipsychotic medications, were admitted to inpatient care more often and had less specific diagnoses. Both diagnostic processes and adherence to treatment need improvement in the regional immigrant population.
authors.affiliation: Catalan Health Institute, Primary Care Research Institute IDIAP J Gol, Rambla de Ferran, 44, 3, 25007, Lleida, Spain. icruzesteve@gmail.com
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Serna
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rué
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Real
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Galván
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pifarré
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents