Outcome of schizophrenia in the Afro-Caribbean community

Abstract

It has been suggested that atypical psychoses of good prognosis might account for the high rates of schizophrenia in the Afro-Caribbean community in Britain. In this study 39 Afro-Caribbean admitted with RDC schizophrenia were followed up in the community, as were matched white subjects. Psychological and social impairments were similarly severe in both groups, showing that schizophrenia among Afro-Caribbeans in Britain is not marked by a favourable outlook. This finding has major implications both for our understanding of the aetiology of schizophrenia, and for the provision of psychiatric services.