East Africa South Asia

East Africa South Asia: It found that immigrants from the Caribbean and refugees from East Africa and South Asia have a 1.5 to 2 times higher risk of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders, according to CTV. The study also found that refugees have a 25 per cent higher risk of psychotic disorders, compared to other immigrants. The study, which was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal on Monday, compared the rate of psychotic disorders in first-generation Canadians to the rate in the general Ontario population. On the other hand, the study suggested immigrants from northern and southern Europe and east Asia had half the risk of devloping a psychotic disorder. Researchers from the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and the Centre for Addiction and Mental health tracked nearly four million people for 10 years to reach their conclusions. The pattern of data "suggests that psychosocial and cultural factors associated with migration may contribute to the risk of psychotic disorders," the report said. "Some groups may be more at risk, whereas others are protected." Paul Kurdyak, one of the study authors, said the findings match the results of similar studies around the world. "There is this relationship between immigration and the risk of developing a psychotic disorder," he said. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.