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Individuals from ethnic minorities who live in small groups in the community are more likely to suffer from schizophrenia than those who live in larger ethnic minority communities, according to a report published in the British Medical Journal.

The study, by the Institute of Psychiatry, shows that the rate of schizophrenia among people from non-white ethnic groups rises as the proportion of these groups in the local population falls.

The findings suggest a social cause for the increased rate of schizophrenia in non-white ethnic groups. Specific stresses could include overt discrimination, institutionalised racism, alienation, and isolation. People from ethnic minorities are also more likely to be singled out or more vulnerable when they are in a small minority, notes the report.

The study, carried out in south London, backed findings from similar studies carried out in the US and was partly prompted by the fact that there are no known biological factors that explain the increased incidence of schizophrenia in ethnic minorities. Researchers analysed information on people who had contact with psychiatric services from 1988 to 1997.

- Incidence of Schizophrenia in Ethnic Minorities in London, BMJ volume 323, 8 December, 2001.