Cross-cultural study of schizophrenia

Abstract

Researchers have used a variety of approaches to assess schizophrenic disorders across cultures. Of the possible ways of studying cultural variations, the one most typically employed involves the accumulation of data in geographically isolated settings and indigenous situations. Another method is through comparative studies of people of various backgrounds living in the same social and geographical environment. This opportunity is provided by immigrants of diverse origins living in the same community. Ninety schizophrenic patients (according to DSM-III-kappa criteria) participated in this study, aged between 18 and 35 years. Three groups were constituted. The first population consisted of second-generation North Africans living and raised in France, the second of native French patients, and the third population consisted of schizophrenic patients living and being raised in North Africa (Algeria), their native country. This study showed that, for the symptoms evaluated, schizophrenic patients from Maghreb have few clinical differences from patients of French origin. Thus, cultural origins do not seem to be of major influence. These results are in concordance with those of the International Pilot Study of Schizophrenia based on a larger international population.