1 - (SYM 42) Exploring the Social Determinants of Psychosis in a Middle Eastern and North African Immigrant Population

Background:   The social defeat hypothesis of schizophrenia suggests that immigration would increase the risk for psychosis. Despite the significant immigration to the US from the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) regions, very little is known about the psychological wellbeing of this group. We examined psychosis-risk and general mental health in immigrant and nonimmigrant MENA groups.  

Methods:   298 participants (68% female, Age M = 24, 43% immigrants) were administered a battery of mental health questionnaires (psychosis-risk, depression, anxiety, stress, trauma, dissociation), risk factors (social defeat, discrimination, loneliness, childhood adversity) and protective factors (resilience, spirituality).   

Results: Immigrants and nonimmigrants did not differ in depression, anxiety and stress scores. Contrary to our hypothesis, psychosis-risk was lower in immigrants. However, immigrants were lonelier and there was an association of loneliness and psychosis-risk across the whole sample. Interestingly, those who were born outside the US showed reduced depression, anxiety and stress scores in comparison to the US born MENA participants.  

 


Discussion:  This on-going study of mental health in the MENA population suggests that the relationship between social defeat and mental health variables is complex and that more nuanced examination of social defeat and resilience is necessary to understand social determinants of mental health in MENA population.