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Cumulative social disadvantage, ethnicity and first-episode psychosis: a case-control study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2008

C. Morgan ,
J. Kirkbride ,
G. Hutchinson ,
T. Craig ,
K. Morgan ,
P. Dazzan ,
J. Boydell ,
G. A. Doody ,
P. B. Jones  and
R. M. Murray
...Show all authors
C. Morgan*
Affiliation:
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Centre for Public Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
J. Kirkbride
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
G. Hutchinson
Affiliation:
Psychiatry Unit, University of the West Indies, Trinidad
T. Craig
Affiliation:
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Centre for Public Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
K. Morgan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Westminster University, London, UK
P. Dazzan
Affiliation:
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
J. Boydell
Affiliation:
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
G. A. Doody
Affiliation:
Division of Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
P. B. Jones
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
R. M. Murray
Affiliation:
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
J. Leff
Affiliation:
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
P. Fearon
Affiliation:
NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
*
*Address for correspondence: C. Morgan, Ph.D., Centre for Public Mental Health, Health Service and Population Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. (Email: spjucrm@iop.kcl.ac.uk)
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Abstract

Background

Numerous studies have reported high rates of psychosis in the Black Caribbean population in the UK. Recent speculation about the reasons for these high rates has focused on social factors. However, there have been few empirical studies. We sought to compare the prevalence of specific indicators of social disadvantage and isolation, and variations by ethnicity, in subjects with a first episode of psychosis and a series of healthy controls.

Method

All cases with a first episode of psychosis who made contact with psychiatric services in defined catchment areas in London and Nottingham, UK and a series of community controls were recruited over a 3-year period. Data relating to clinical and social variables were collected from cases and controls.

Results

On all indicators, cases were more socially disadvantaged and isolated than controls, after controlling for potential confounders. These associations held when the sample was restricted to those with an affective diagnosis and to those with a short prodrome and short duration of untreated psychosis. There was a clear linear relationship between concentrated disadvantage and odds of psychosis. Similar patterns were evident in the two main ethnic groups, White British and Black Caribbean. However, indicators of social disadvantage and isolation were more common in Black Caribbean subjects than White British subjects.

Conclusions

We found strong associations between indicators of disadvantage and psychosis. If these variables index exposure to factors that increase risk of psychosis, their greater prevalence in the Black Caribbean population may contribute to the reported high rates of psychosis in this population.

Keywords

Ethnicityfirst-episode psychosissocial disadvantage
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 38 , Issue 12 , December 2008 , pp. 1701 - 1715
Copyright
Copyright © 2008 Cambridge University Press

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