First-contact incidence of schizophrenia in Surinam

• Published in: British journal of psychiatry Vol. 186; no. 1; pp. 74 - 75
• Main Authors: Selten, Jean-Paul, Zeyl, Caroline, Dwarkasing, Rudi, Lumsden, Vincent, Kahn, Rene S., van Harten, Peter N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01-01-2005; RCP
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Age; Environmental aspects; Environmental factors; Family physicians; Gender; Humans; Immigrants; Incidence; Mental disorders; Netherlands; Netherlands - epidemiology; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; Patients; Population; Psychiatrists; Psychiatry; Psychosis; Risk; Risk factors; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - epidemiology; Short Report; Surinam; Suriname - ethnology; Surinamese people; Urban Population; Urbanization; Netherlands; Suriname; Europe
• ISSN: 0007-1250; 1472-1465
• DOI: 10.1192/bjp.186.1.74

We tested the hypothesis that the increased incidence of schizophrenia among Surinamese immigrants to The Netherlands could be explained by a similarly high incidence in Surinam. We conducted a 1-year first-contact incidence study in Surinam and compared the findings with data from a similar study conducted in The Netherlands using the same inclusion criteria and instruments. The risk of developing a schizophrenic disorder was 2.4 times higher (95% CI 1.3–4.2) in Surinamese immigrants than in residents of Surinam. The increased risk is probably due to environmental factors in The Netherlands.