Age-at-migration, ethnicity and psychosis risk: Findings from the EU-GEI case-control study

Several studies have highlighted increased psychosis risk in migrant and minority ethnic populations. Migration before age 18 appears to increase risk, but further evidence is required. We investigated this issue in a European case-control study. We hypothesized that migration during two key socio-developmental periods, childhood and adolescence, would be most strongly associated with increased odds of psychosis, and that this would be more pronounced for racialised minorities. We used data from five countries in the EUropean network of national schizophrenia networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions [EU-GEI] study. We examined the association between migration in infancy (0-4 years), childhood (5-10 years), adolescence (11-17 years) or adulthood (18+ years) and first episode psychotic disorder. We fitted unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios [OR] and 95% confidence intervals [95%CI] for associations between age-at-migration and psychosis. In stratified models, we also examined whether these associations varied by ethnicity. The sample consisted of 937 cases and 1,195 controls. Migration at all ages, including infancy (OR: 2.03, 95%CI: 1.01-4.10), childhood (OR: 2.07, 95%CI: 1.04-4.14), adolescence (OR: 3.26, 95%CI: 1.89-5.63) and adulthood (OR: 1.71, 95%CI: 1.21-2.41), was associated with increased odds of psychosis compared with the white majority non-migrant group, after adjustment for all confounders except ethnoracial identity. After additional adjustment for ethnoracial identity, only migration during adolescence remained associated with psychosis (OR 1.94, 95%CI: 1.11-3.36). In stratified analyses, migration during adolescence was associated with increased odds of psychosis in Black (OR: 6.52, 95%CI: 3.00-14.20) and North African (OR: 16.43, 95%CI: 1.88-143.51) groups.Migration during adolescence increased psychosis risk, particularly in racially minoritised young people. This suggests that development of interventions for minoritised young migrants that alleviate stressors associated with migration and acculturation are warranted.

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Publication Details

Journal
PLOS mental health.
Published
2024-10-02
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmen.0000134
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Migration, Health and Trauma
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.28

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article

Age-at-migration, ethnicity and psychosis risk: Findings from the EU-GEI case-control study

Julian Edbrooke‐Childs, Celso Arango, Bettina Moltrecht, Ilaria Tarricone et al.
2 citations
PLOS mental health.
Migration, Health and Trauma
1.28
article

Age-at-migration, ethnicity and psychosis risk: Findings from the EU-GEI case-control study

Julian Edbrooke‐Childs, Celso Arango, Bettina Moltrecht, Ilaria Tarricone, Daniele La Barbera, Diego Quattrone, Miquel Bernardo, Bart P. F. Rutten, James B. Kirkbride, Craig Morgan, Lieuwe de Haan, Giuseppe D’Andrea, Manuel Arrojo, Andreı̈ Szöke, Els van der Ven, Cristina Marta Del‐Ben, Caterina La Cascia, Humma Andleeb, Eva Velthorst, Charlotte Gayer‐Anderson, Julio Sanjuán, Peter Brian Jones, Jean-Paul Selten, Hannah E. Jongsma, Laura Ferraro, Pierre-Michel Llorca, Paolo Rossi Menezes
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Several studies have highlighted increased psychosis risk in migrant and minority ethnic populations. Migration before age 18 appears to increase risk, but further evidence is required. We investigated this issue in a European case-control study. We hypothesized that migration during two key socio-developmental periods, childhood and adolescence, would be most strongly associated with increased odds of psychosis, and that this would be more pronounced for racialised minorities. We used data from five countries in the EUropean network of national schizophrenia networks studying Gene-Environment Interactions [EU-GEI] study. We examined the association between migration in infancy (0-4 years), childhood (5-10 years), adolescence (11-17 years) or adulthood (18+ years) and first episode psychotic disorder. We fitted unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios [OR] and 95% confidence intervals [95%CI] for associations between age-at-migration and psychosis. In stratified models, we also examined whether these associations varied by ethnicity. The sample consisted of 937 cases and 1,195 controls. Migration at all ages, including infancy (OR: 2.03, 95%CI: 1.01-4.10), childhood (OR: 2.07, 95%CI: 1.04-4.14), adolescence (OR: 3.26, 95%CI: 1.89-5.63) and adulthood (OR: 1.71, 95%CI: 1.21-2.41), was associated with increased odds of psychosis compared with the white majority non-migrant group, after adjustment for all confounders except ethnoracial identity. After additional adjustment for ethnoracial identity, only migration during adolescence remained associated with psychosis (OR 1.94, 95%CI: 1.11-3.36). In stratified analyses, migration during adolescence was associated with increased odds of psychosis in Black (OR: 6.52, 95%CI: 3.00-14.20) and North African (OR: 16.43, 95%CI: 1.88-143.51) groups.Migration during adolescence increased psychosis risk, particularly in racially minoritised young people. This suggests that development of interventions for minoritised young migrants that alleviate stressors associated with migration and acculturation are warranted.

PLOS mental health.Vol. 1(5)
Universidad Complutense de Madrid (ES), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), University Medical Center Groningen (NL), Inserm (FR), Universitat de València (ES), Universidade de São Paulo (BR), King's College London (GB), Université Paris-Est Créteil (FR), Maastricht University Medical Centre (NL), Anna Freud Centre (GB), Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón (ES), Maastricht University (NL), GGZ Noord-Holland-Noord (NL), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (ES), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valencia (ES), Fondation FondaMental (FR), Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR), University of Clermont Auvergne (FR), Sigma Clermont (FR), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Clermont-Ferrand (FR), Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (GB), INCLIVA Health Research Institute (ES), Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale (FR), Medical Research Network (US), University College London (GB), Ball (France) (FR), Universitat de Barcelona (ES), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (NL), University of Amsterdam (NL), University of Palermo (IT), Social Care Institute for Excellence (GB), University of Bologna (IT)
Wellcome Trust, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, Second Framework Programme
Reduced inequalities
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Migration, Health and Trauma
1.28
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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