Refugees Might Be At High Risk Of Schizophrenia: Study

Refugees can develop disorders, such as schizophrenia, due to the trauma of escaping "persecution, wars and natural disasters," says a new study of 1.3 million in Sweden.

The first study that examined their psychotic disorders, showed that they are thrice at the risk of undergoing disabilities, such as schizophrenia, as compared to the residents. They are already facing post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, which could also lead to schizophrenia.

"The dramatically increased risk among refugees shows that life events are a significant risk factor for schizophrenia and other psychoses," lead author Anna-Clara Hollander, of Sweden's Karolinska Institute, said in a release.

The refugees hailed from Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe, including Russia. The greatest risk was faced by refugees from sub-Saharan Africa.

Refugees also tended to face a two-thirds risk of developing psychological disorders as compared to other migrants who might not be so economically challenged.

"Clinicians and service planners in high income settings should be aware of the early signs of psychosis in refugees," the authors wrote. "Just as for the general population, refugees and their families will benefit from timely and early intervention and care, particularly in those exposed to severe psychosocial adversity."

Experts looked at information gathered from Sweden's national registry, tracking immigration and the health status of various persons. It included 1.3 million people born after 1983. They were studied from their 14th birthday until the end of 2011. There were 3,704 from this group that went through a psychotic disorder.

"These differences cannot be explained by other, important alternative explanations like differences in age, sex, income or urban residency," said co-senior author James Kirkbride of the University College London.

While Sweden permits more asylum applications per capita compared to other high-income countries, it took in 163,000 seekers last year. But this year, there was a huge reduction as the nation put in some national border controls.

The research was published Tuesday in the journal BMJ.