Risks Factors for Psychosis in Migrants: Preliminary Results From the Eugei and Pep-ita Study in Italy

Abstract

Research mostly conducted inthe UK and Northern Europe has established that there are high rates of firstepisode psychosis (FEP) in large cities and immigrant populations. Thesefindings could indicate that socio-environmental risk factors, such asindividual social class and social capital; early trauma, life events; cannabisuse and neighbourhood deprivation could be relevant in explaining thedifferences in incidence rates observed between migrants and natives, followingthe socio-developmental model of Morgan et al (2010). Further studies, with population based control groups for comparison, such as the recentlystarted pan-European EUGEI (European Network of NationalSchizophrenia Networks Studying Gene Environment Interactions) and PEP-Itastudy (first episode psychosis in Italy study) will allow a deeperunderstanding of the nature of FEP incidence rate found among FEP natives and FEPmigrants. This presentation aims to compare the incidence rate of FEP andthe distribution of several risk factors (e.g. substance abuse, neighbourhooddeprivation, urbanicity and trauma) in migrants in different places in acrossItaly.