Biomaterial Database

Schizophrenia in British Afro-Caribbeans: two debates confused? 1991

B Ineichen

Department of Public Health/Epidemiology, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, UK.

The concept and aetiology of schizophrenia remain controversial issues. Epidemiological studies reveal considerable variations in rates of diagnosed cases between groups. British Afro-Caribbeans show high rates. At the same time, their psychiatric experience is marked by a high level of conflict with the psychiatric services. The two debates--that surrounding the concept of schizophrenia, and that concerning the psychiatric experiences of British Afro-Caribbeans--need to be separated so that each receives appropriate consideration. Studies based on the experiences of people diagnosed as schizophrenic may confuse rather than advance the first debate if due care is not paid to the reliability of the diagnosis. The second debate has consequences for the development of psychiatric services. Further unaddressed questions referring to the mental health of ethnic minorities are suggested.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D001741	Black or African American	A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1997/10/30/97-28653/revisions-to-the-standards-for-the classification-of-federal-data-on-race-and-ethnicity). In the United States it is used for classification of federal government data on race and ethnicity. Race and ethnicity terms are self-identified social construct and may include terms outdated and offensive in MeSH to assist users who are interested in retrieving comprehensive search results for studies such as in longitudinal studies.	African American,African Americans,African-American,Afro-American,Afro-Americans,Black Americans,Blacks,Negroes,African-Americans,Negro,Afro American,Afro Americans,American, African,American, Black,Black American
D002189	Marijuana Abuse	Use of marijuana associated with abnormal psychological, social, and or occupational functioning.	Cannabis Abuse,Cannabis Dependence,Cannabis-Related Disorder,Hashish Abuse,Marijuana Dependence,Marihuana Abuse,Abuse, Cannabis,Abuse, Hashish,Abuse, Marihuana,Abuse, Marijuana,Cannabis Related Disorder,Dependence, Cannabis,Dependence, Marijuana,Disorder, Cannabis-Related
D005260	Female		Females
D006113	United Kingdom	Country in northwestern Europe including Great Britain and the northern one-sixth of the island of Ireland, located between the North Sea and north Atlantic Ocean. The capital is London.	Great Britain,Isle of Man
D006760	Hospitalization	The confinement of a patient in a hospital.	Hospitalizations
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D001294	Attitude to Health	Public attitudes toward health, disease, and the medical care system.	Health Attitude,Attitude, Health,Attitudes, Health,Health Attitudes,Health, Attitude to
D012559	Schizophrenia	A severe emotional disorder of psychotic depth characteristically marked by a retreat from reality with delusion formation, HALLUCINATIONS, emotional disharmony, and regressive behavior.	Dementia Praecox,Schizophrenic Disorders,Disorder, Schizophrenic,Disorders, Schizophrenic,Schizophrenias,Schizophrenic Disorder
D012923	Social Class	A stratum of people with similar position and prestige; includes social stratification. Social class is measured by criteria such as education, occupation, and income.	Caste,Social Gradients,Socioeconomic Level,Socioeconomic Status,Middle Class Population,Castes,Class, Social,Gradient, Social,Level, Socioeconomic,Middle Class Populations,Population, Middle Class,Social Classes,Social Gradient,Socioeconomic Levels,Status, Socioeconomic