Incidence of schizophrenia among ethnic minorities in the Netherlands: a four-year first-contact study

Abstract

There is only one previous report on the first-contact incidence of schizophrenia among immigrants in the Netherlands, which was based on a small number of cases, particularly for second generation immigrants. We conducted another two-year first-contact incidence study in the same geographical area, combined the data of both studies and compared risks over all four years. The incidence of schizophrenia was increased for all first generation non-Western immigrants. The risk was particularly high for second generation immigrants: the age- and gender-adjusted incidence rate ratio was 5.8 (95% CI, 2.9-11.4) for Moroccans, 2.9 (1.6-5.0) for Surinamese, 2.3 (1.0-5.4) for Turks, and 3.5 (1.8-6.8) for immigrants from other non-Western countries.