title: Association between degrees of social defeat and themes of delusion in patients with schizophrenia from immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds.
abstract: Immigrants have a heightened risk of developing schizophrenia, suggesting that social factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine the relationship between degrees of social defeat and themes of delusion in patients with schizophrenia from immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds. Retrospective chart review was conducted. Patients' psychosocial history, particularly employment history, level of education, and subjective feelings of societal integration before and after immigration, were compared to determine the degree of social defeat. It was found that delusional themes of psychological persecution, such as control and reference, were more common in those with either moderate or severe degrees of social defeat.
authors.affiliation: Mount Sinai Hospital, and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Danni
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Andermann
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003702:Delusions / Q000523:psychology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology*; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D009864:Ontario; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012918:Social Alienation / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors