[Psychiatric admissions in Amsterdam according to ethnic background and diagnosis].

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether patients from ethnic groups in Amsterdam are admitted to psychiatric institutes more often than Dutch natives.

DESIGN

Descriptive.

SETTING

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

METHOD

Admission incidences were calculated from the Amsterdam registry of admissions to psychiatric institutions, 1992-1993, and the country of birth was determined. Only first-generation migrants were studied.

RESULTS

Patients from most ethnic groups were not admitted more frequently than Dutch natives. Only people from non-industrialized countries were more often admitted. Schizophrenia was diagnosed significantly more often in Surinam men (a factor 2) than in Dutch natives, among Turkish men the diagnosis was less frequent.

CONCLUSION

Earlier findings of two-to-five-fold increased incidence of schizophrenia in first-generation migrants from Surinam, The Netherlands Antilles and Morocco, were in Amsterdam only partly confirmed.