Association between degrees of social defeat and themes of delusion in patients with schizophrenia from immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds
Immigrants have a heightened risk of developing schizophrenia, suggesting that social factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In this free podcast the authors of the featured article discuss the relationship between degrees of social defeat and themes of delusion in patients with schizophrenia from immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds.
Article details
Li, D., Law, S., & Andermann, L. (2012). Association between degrees of social defeat and themes of delusion in patients with schizophrenia from immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds Transcultural Psychiatry, 49 (5), 735-749 DOI: 10.1177/1363461512464625
Article abstract
Immigrants have a heightened risk of developing schizophrenia, suggesting that social factors play an important role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine the relationship between degrees of social defeat and themes of delusion in patients with schizophrenia from immigrant and ethnic minority backgrounds. Retrospective chart review was conducted. Patients’ psychosocial history, particularly employment history, level of education, and subjective feelings of societal integration before and after immigration, were compared to determine the degree of social defeat. It was found that delusional themes of psychological persecution, such as control and reference, were more common in those with either moderate or severe degrees of social defeat.
Tags: delusion, ethnic minority, Immigrants, Schizophrenia, social defeat
