Schizophrenia: sociocultural factors

Can J Psychiatry. 1981 Apr;26(3):186-8. doi: 10.1177/070674378102600310.

Abstract

Social factors in an incidence by first admission group of forty-three carefully rediagnosed schizophrenic patients, who were the subject of a long term follow-up, were examined. The findings were: -- Schizophrenics are predominantly lower social class -- Drift from higher to lower social class prior to the onset of illness was not substantiated -- Families of origin were predominantly lower social class -- Patients were likely to have lower grade occupations than their fathers despite both frequently being lower social class -- An excess of urban resident patients, but many of them came from rural resident families -- Immigrants as a whole are not over-represented -- Minority immigrant groups and minority language groups were over-represented -- "At risk" immigrant profile is: male, single, recent immigrant, eastern European origin, non-English speaking, poorly educated, in a lower grade occupation than his father.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Alberta
  • Emigration and Immigration
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Minority Groups
  • Risk
  • Schizophrenia / epidemiology*
  • Social Class
  • Social Conditions*
  • Social Mobility
  • Urban Population