Jews and their intraethnic vulnerability to affective disorders, fact or artifact? II: Evidence from a cohort study

Robert Kohn, Itzhak Levav, Bruce R. Dohrenwend, Patrick E. Shrout, Andrew E. Skodol

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This paper, which complements a prior review of published studies, reports findings from a community-based survey of 4,914 Israel-born offspring of immigrants from Europe (Ashkenazim) and North Africa. Respondents were examined by psychiatrists using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia, Israel version, and diagnosed with the Research Diagnostic Criteria. Unlike previous studies, this investigation found that Israelis of North African origin had significantly higher rates of affective disorders, including major depressive and intermittent depressive disorders. The Ashkenazim, however, had higher rates of bipolar I disorder at the definite level of diagnosis. Differential patterns in help-seeking may account for the divergent findings between this communitybased study and earlier treatment-based reports. These results suggest the need to further investigate social and genetic etiological factors that may explain the differential rates.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)149-156
Number of pages8
JournalIsrael Journal of Psychiatry and Related Sciences
Volume34
Issue number2
StatePublished - 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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