Abstract
This study explores cultural influences on symptoms and course of schizophrenic disorder. Hispanic veterans with schizophrenia are compared to a similar group of White non-Hispanic (Anglo) veterans. Symptoms were elicited with a structured diagnostic interview and a battery of rating instruments. Primary symptoms of schizophrenia (e.g., hallucinations, delusions, functional deterioration) were very similar for both groups. However, Hispanic patients reported a later age of onset, exhibited more somatization, and spent less time in the hospital than Anglo patients.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baskin D. Bluestone H, Nelson M 1981 Ethnicity and psychiatric diagnosis. J. Clinical Psych 37(3): 529–537.
Becerra R, Karno M, Escobar JI 1982 The Hispanic patient: Mental health issues and stragegies, In RM Becerra, M. Karno, and JI Escobar (eds.): Mental Health and Hispanic American. New York: Grune and Stratton.
Burnam A, Karno M, Hough R, Escobar JI et al. 1983 The Spanish diagnostic interview schedule: Reliability and comparison with clinical diagnoses. Arch Gen Psychiatry 40: 1189–1196.
Crandall DL and Dohrenwend BD 1967 Some relations among psychiatric symptoms, organic illness, and social class. American Journal of Psychiatry 123: 1527–1533.
Cuellar I, Harris LC, Jasso R 1980 An Acculturation Scale for Mexican Americans normal and clinical populations. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Science 2(3): 199–217.
DeHoyos A, DeHoyos G 1965 Symptomatology differentials between Negro and White schizophrenics. Int J Soc Psychiatry 11: 245–255.
Derogatis LR, Lipman RS, Rickels K, Uhlenhuth EH, Cori L 1974 The Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL): A self-report symptom inventory. Behav Sci 19: 1–15.
Dixon WJ, Brown MB, Engelman L, Franc JW, Hill MA, Jennrich RI, Topore K 1983 BMDP Statistical Software. Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Endicott J, Spitzer FI, Fleiss JL, Cohen J 1976 The Global Assessment Scale: A procedure for measuring overall severity of psychiatric disturbance, In W Guy (ed): ECDEU Assessment Manual for Psychopharmacology, revised 1976. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Escobar JI, Gomez J, Tuason VB 1983 Depressive phenomenology in North and South American patients. Am J Psychiatry 140: 47–51.
Escobar JI, Randolph ET 1982 The Hispanic and social networks. In RM Becerra, M Karno, and JI Escobar (eds) Mental Health and Hispanic Americans. New York: Grune and Stratton.
Escobar JI, Randolph ET, Asamen J, Karno M in press The NIMH-DIS and the assessment of schizophrenic disorders. Schizophrenia Bulletin.
Escobar JI, Randolph ET, Puente G, Spivak F, Asamen JK, Hill MA, Hough RL 1983 Post-traumatic stress disorder in Hispanic Vietnam veterans: Clinical phenomenology and sociocultural characteristics. J Nerv Ment Dis 171: 585–596.
Fabrega H, Schwartz JD, Wallace CA 1968 Ethnic differences in psychopathology with emphasis on clinical correlates under varying conditions. Arch Gen Psychiatry 19: 218–226.
Faris R, Dunham WH 1939 Mental Disorders in Urban Areas, Chicago: Univeristy of Chicago Press.
Goldberg DP 1972 The Detection of Psychiatric Illness by Questionnaire. London: Oxford University Press.
Goldberg DP, Rickels K, Downing R, Hesbacher P 1976 A comparison of two psychiatric screening tests. Brit J Psychiatry 129: 61–67.
Guy W: Clinical global impressions. 1976 ECDEU Assessment Manual for Psychopharmacology, revised 1976. Rockville, Maryland: U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare; pp. 218–222.
Harding TW, DeArango MV, Baltasar J et al. 1980 Mental disorders in primary health care: A study of their frequency and diagnosis in four developing countries. Psychological Medicine 10: 231–241.
Hollingshead AB, Redlich FC 1958 Social Class and Mental Illness: A Community Study. New York: John Wilsy and Sons.
Karno M, Burnam A, Escobar JI, Hough RI, Eaton WW 1983 Development of the Spanish language version of the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Arch Gen Psychiatry 40: 1183–1188.
Karno M, Edgerton RB 1969 Perception of mental illness in a Mexican American community. Arch Gen Psychiatry 20: 233–238.
Katon W, Kleinman A. and Rosen G 1982 Depression and somatization: A review (Part 1). The American Journal of Medicine 72: 127–135.
Kirmayer LJ: Culture, affect and somatization 1984 Transcultural Psychiatry Research Review 21: 159–188.
Kleinman A 1982 Neurasthenia and depression: A study of somatization and culture in China. Culture Medicine and Psychiatry 6: 117–190.
Littlewood R. and Lisedge M 1981 Some social and phenomenological characteristics of psychotic immigrants. Psychol Med 11(2) 289–302.
Malzberg B 1963 Mental disorders in the U.S. In A Deutsch, H Fishman (eds.): Encyclopedia of Mental Health. New York: Franklin Watts, Inc., vol. 3.
Meisnner WW 1980 Theories of personality and psychopathology — Classical psychoanalysis. In Kaplan HK, Freedman AF, Sadock BF (Eds.): Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry (Third Edition), Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, p. 691.
Mezzich JE, Raab ES 1980 Depressive symptomatology across the Americans. Arch Gen Psychiatry 37: 818–823.
National Institute of Mental Health: 1980 Statistical series A, B, C, & D. Rockville, MD: Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, 1970–1980.
Nichter M 1982 Idioms of distress: Alternatives in the expression of psychosocial distress. A case study from South India. Culture Medicine and Psychiatry 5: 379–408.
Opler MK, Singer JL 1965 Ethnic differences in behavior and psychopathology. Int Soc Psychiatry 2: 14–23.
Overall JE, Gorham DR 1961 The brief psychiatric rating scale. Psychol Rep 10: 799–812.
Padilla AM, Ruiz RA 1973 Latino Mental Health: A review of literature. (DHEW Publication No. (HSM) 79–9143). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Robins LN, Helzer JE, Croughan J, Ratcliff K 1981 The National Institute of Mental Health Diagnostic Interview Schedule. Arch Gen Psychiatry 38: 381–389.
Rodin G: Somatization and the self Psychotherapeutic issues. 1984 American Journal of Psychotherapy 38: 257–263.
Rosenthal D 1970 Genetic Theory and Abnormal Behavior: Genetic Studies of Schizophrenia. New York: McGraw Hill; pp. 92–200.
Sartorius N, Jablensky A 1975 Culture and schizophrenia. In H van Pragg (ed): Proceedings of the Symposium on Schizophrenia Held by the Interdisciplinary Society of Biological Psychiatry, Amsterdam, 1974. Amsterdam: De Erven Bohn.
Sifneos PE 1973 The prevalence of alexithymic characteristics in psychosomatic patients. Psychotheraphy and Psychosomatics 22: 255–262.
Simon RH, Fleiss JL, Gurland BJ, Stiller PR, Sharpe L 1973 Depression and schizophrenia in hospitalized Black and White mental patients. Arch Gen Psychiatry 28: 509–512.
Simon RI 1963 Involutional psychosis in Negroes. Arch Gen Psychiatry 13: 148–154.
Sternback RA (Ed.) 1978 The psychology of pain. N.Y.: Raven Press.
Tonks CM, Paykel ES, Klerman GL 1970 Clinical depression among Negross. Am J Psychiatry 127: 329–335.
Wing JK, Cooper JE, Sartorius N 1974 The Description and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms: An instructional manual for the PSE and CA TEGO System. London: Cambridge University Press.
World Health Organization 1975 Schizophrenia: A Multi-national Study. Geneva: World Health Organization Press.
World Health Organization 1980 Schizophrenia: A Multi-national Survey. Geneva: World Health Organization.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported by a grant from the Veterans Administration Health Services Research and Development Service (Project 11R 81-633).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Escobar, J.I., Randolph, E.T. & Hill, M. Symptoms of schizophrenia in Hispanic and Anglo veterans. Cult Med Psych 10, 259–276 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00114700
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00114700