Schizophrenic Disorders among Turkish Migrants in Germany

Abstract

Several studies have implied cultural differences in the psychopathology of schizophrenia between migrants and natives. In a diagnostically strictly controlled study, including comparison of diagnosis with a Turkish-speaking psychiatrist, 74 patients of Turkish and 48 of German origin, all with a diagnosis of schizophrenic disorder, were compared using PANSS and HAM-D. The Turkish sample showed higher depression and hostile excitement, even in the subsample of those with paranoid schizophrenia, and no differences in positive, negative or cognitive symptoms. The similarities especially concerning core symptoms reflect evidence from cross-cultural studies on schizophrenia. In conclusion this study shows main differences in psychopathology between psychotic migrants and natives, as discussed in the literature, may be mainly due to diagnostic differences.