Psychosis across persons 1: Minority ethnic groups and migration

Abstract

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of evidence on and candidate explanations for variations in the incidence of psychotic disorder by ethnic group, migrant status, region of origin, and region of destination. In 2019, the United Nations estimated global migration at nearly 300 million international migrants or about 3.5% of the world population, a number that has been steadily increasing. Europe and Asia each hosted more than 80 million international migrants (~55% of the total), North America hosted around 60 million (~20%), and Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Oceania hosted the smallest numbers, with percentages of 10 or less. Given the growing mobility of populations, the health of migrants is a critical public health issue. In light of this, it is a concern that migrants experience higher rates of mental health problems. In particular, there is a long history of research showing that certain migrant and minority populations have a higher risk of developing a psychotic disorder compared with host populations. This chapter provides an overview of the empirical evidence on risk of psychosis risk across migrant and ethnic minority groups, and concludes by considering the implications of the evidence to date.