Background:
Data from two retrospective first contact studies suggest that the risk of developing very-late onset schizophrenia-like psychosis (slp) may be raised in older migrant than british-born populations resident in the uk.
Objective:
To investigate whether the relative excess of slp observed amongst younger and male migrants in the above studies might have been explained by differences in the age-gender structures of migrant and british-born denominator populations. a secondary aim was to examine the associations of migrant group status and gender with markers of social isolation.
Method:
Eighty-six new referrals of slp to the mile end (1997-2003) and maudsley (1995-2000) hospitals were identified from two retrospective case note studies. local census data were used to estimate the denominator populations and to calculate rate ratios for migrant and british-born cases of slp. case notes were re-examined, to assess markers of social isolation in migrant and british-born patients.
Results:
Migrant patients were more likely to be male (odds ratio = 4.8; ci(odds) = 1.8-13.2) than british-born patients. the ratio of first contact rates for migrant compared to british-born populations were highest amongst men. there was a lower mean age of onset of slp in migrant than british-born patients (t = 4.30, 95% ci = 3.78-10.27), which was largely explained by a higher mean age of illness onset in british-born women. there were no differences between migrant and british-born patients with respect to markers of social isolation. male patients were more likely to have never married than women (odds ratio = 0.28; 95% ci odds = 0.09-0.89).
Conclusions:
The age-gender structure of the background population is not sufficient to explain the socio-demographic differences between migrant and british-born patients with slp. male patients may be more socially isolated.