Negroes 3 Times More Likely to be Schizophrenic

[L.G. Morgan]

Negroes have a 3 times higher (or 200% greater) likelihood of developing schizophrenia during their lives.

The International Journal of Epidemiology states in the study published in a recent issue, that: "The data indicate substantially elevated rates of schizophrenia among African Americans in comparison with whites in this birth cohort".

This variance has also been noted in the UK (see related story). The cause of this large variance has, in the research we've seen, been most commonly attributed to a greater frequency of exposure of African Americans to what are believed to be the key environmental contributors to schizophrenia - prepregnancy factors, pregnancy stress, other prenatal factors, social stress, family stress or other environmental factors.

Source: International Journal of Epidemiology, Race and risk of schizophrenia in a US birth cohort: another example of health disparity?