Do British Afro-Caribbeans have a Genetic Predisposition to Schizophrenia - Assignment Example

Do Afro-Carribeans have a predisposition to schizophrenia? Introduction This is a mental disorder whereby the patient has a breakdown of mental capacity and is not able to differential between what is real and what is not real. The patient does not have the ability to think in a clear manner hence displays abnormal emotional responses and abnormal sociological situations. The causes of the disease are causing a serious debate, but it is believed to be a genetic disorder inherited from one generation to another in a family. Since the disorder is contained in the genes of individuals, there is a possibility that certain environmental, social, and biological factors may be able to trigger the disease in some individuals. The disease affects both genders at the same rate but tend to affect women much more that their male counterparts. The patients who suffer from this disorder show various symptoms such as lack of concentration in class, display of an irritation feeling, lack of proper sleep, recurring hallucinations, anxiety, and lack of response to other individuals (Veling et al., 2007, p. 43). There has been a growing concern among some researchers and psychologists as to whether the disease is affecting the African-Caribbean more than the whites. Statistics from United Kingdom hospitals indicates that majority of the patients admitted for schizophrenia are mainly black. Hence, this has provoked a lot of medical experts to hypothesize reasons as to why individuals of African-Caribbeans origin to be disadvantaged by their genetic make-up and suffer a lot of diseases more as opposed to whites. The living conditions of the whites are different from the living conditions of the black people in Britain (Veling et al., 2007, p. 62). In addition, these groups of people are living in different environments and social backgrounds. This paper explains the arguments as to why the African-Caribbeans are more likely to suffer from schizophrenia compared to their white friends. The paper will also discuss the role of the gene, environment, and cultural relationships to schizophrenia among the African-Caribbeans (Hammack, 2003, p. 188). In addition, the paper analyzes the contribution of the genetic factors, social and environmental factors that expose the African-Caribbeans to schizophrenia as compared to the white people living in the United Kingdom (Sugarman & Craufurd, 1994, p.476). Genetic predisposition Researchers in schizophrenia have found out that the causes of schizophrenia socially and environmentally triggered apart from causes. A study on genetic predisposition by Sugarman & Craufurd (1994) indicates that although the risk of schizophrenia was similar among the white parents and black parents, there was concrete evidence that showed some families tend to be genetically predisposed to the disease among the African Caribbean. African Caribbeans are always associated with constant migrations in the United Kingdom because of poor service delivery or discrimination in their environments exposing them to stressful conditions. The genetic cause for schizophrenia has remained as the major cause of the mental disorder but the contribution of other factors is still under investigation (Sugarman & Craufurd, 1994, p. 480). The risk of getting the disease from hereditary basis is about 80%, but other factors have been associated with the disease. Due to these findings, researchers in mental illness conclude that although schizophrenia is genetic among the people of different communities and racial backgrounds in the United Kingdom, the disorder is not genetically determined. The argument behind this, include a range of social and environmental factors that predisposes minorities to disorders. As such, the prevalence of schizophrenia within African-Caribbean community is because of interaction between environmental and genetic factors (Hickling, 2005, p. 258). Racial discrimination Racial factor such as discrimination in accessing mental health services, induces racial stress, misdiagnosis by white medical staffs has been a significant cause of increased schizophrenia cases among the minorities in the United Kingdom. According g to Fanon, 1991, schizophrenia has been linked to racialized experiences and the integration between the whites and the blacks (Fanon, F 1991, p. 34). Factors such as racial discrimination have resulted into schizophrenia among the African Caribbean people due to increased stress and mental torture. African Caribbean’s are highly discriminated in terms of mental health hence stand a greater chance of suffering from mental stress resulting from the discrimination compared to whites. Hickling (2005) noted that tress resulting from the racial discrimination in the United Kingdom has presented as one of the major causes of schizophrenia among the African Caribbean. Most white psychiatrists’ misdiagnosis African Caribbean due to racial discrimination making the status of the minority groups as the major stressor. Therefore, as most minority groups in the United Kingdom struggle to cope with the stress resulting from racial discrimination, they are likely to suffer from mental disorders such as schizophrenia (Hammack, 2003, p. 188). Most of the medical experts and psychiatrists in the United Kingdom are of the white race hence discriminative during diagnosis to the extent of giving false results to the patients. African Caribbeans are diagnosed with symptoms of schizophrenia more than the whites due to bias in diagnosis or misinterpretation of clinical results by some psychiatrists. The social environment It is worth noting that, in UK, individuals of African-Caribbean origin are mainly low income earners as they do not have access to favorable employment opportunities among minority groups (Veling et al., 2008, p.378). As a result of earning low income, many of their families do not have access to good health care and educational facilities in contrast to white families. In fact, most of the immigrants are segregated from accessing better paying jobs in the United Kingdom due to racial discrimination and poor education. This has resulted into various socioeconomic stresses that lead to mental illness. This is due to the fact the African Caribbean’s are struggling in order to live a better live and spend most of their lives in stressful situations. This increases their chances of suffering from mental stress hence schizophrenia. The environments in which the African Caribbean families are living are characterized by high rates of crimes. This leads to many children and parents losing their lives and end up as single mothers or orphans. Children who are from single parents have greater chances of developing psychosis as compared to the child from a well-established family (Hammack, 2003, p. 200). The increased rate of crimes is due to the increased rate of unemployment among the minority groups who are struggling to earn a living. In addition, any members of the community who are isolated from others have increased chances of mental disorder because such individuals have difficulties in maintaining a positive and reasonable affiliation with other families or members of the community. Most African Caribbeans are living in isolated areas hence experience a lot of mental stress that makes it difficult for them to affiliate with their white fellows resulting into psychological discomfort thus schizophrenia. Therefore, African Caribbeans have increased exposure to risk factors that may lead to schizophrenia apart from the fact that the disease is genetic (Hickling, 2005, p. 259). Acculturation and ethnic identity This phenomenon presents itself when two groups of people who have differences in cultural backgrounds come into contact. The African-Caribbeans are among the minorities in United Kingdom who constitutes the immigrants from other countries (Veling et al., 2007, p.772). Their contact with the whites in the United Kingdom results into acculturation since they feel inferior hence fail to identify with their own culture as they try to adopt the culture of the white people. It believed that the consequences of acculturation have a significant effect on mental well-being of individuals of African-Caribbean origin. As a consequence, this impacts substantially on both group and individual levels. For instance at group level, in UK, its mostly manifested in political sphere in which case the attitude of the whites towards black minorities is severely affected (Whitley et al., 2006, p. 378). The individual level effects are when there are differences in cultural identity and cultural values among the majority whites and minority African-Caribbean. The results of acculturation stress include anxiety, depression, and psychosomatic symptoms, which are key factors that lead to schizophrenia among individuals (Veling et al., 2008, p.376). Conclusion Schizophrenia is a mental disorder, which results into poor mental capacity in such a way that the patient has poor thinking and cannot differentiate what is right and wrong. The causes of the disease are not clear but have been associated with genetic malfunctioning, which is hereditary. There have been arguments from various psychiatrists and mental health professional as to whether or not environmental and social factors are potentially capable of schizophrenia. This paper has explained the factors that predispose the African-Caribbeans in the United Kingdom to schizophrenia as compared to their white counterparts. Apart from genetic causes, racial discrimination is among the factors that increase the chances of schizophrenia among the African Caribbeans. The African Caribbeans are immigrants and one of the minority groups in the United Kingdom who are discriminated by the majority white people. This causes racial stress leading to development of mental stress hence schizophrenia. In addition to racial discrimination, several social factors for instance socio-economic status, living conditions and joblessness causes mental stress. As a result, this leads to high chances of developing mental illness especially among United Kingdom’s black minorities. Therefore, social and environmental factors increase the chances of schizophrenia among the African Caribbeans in the United Kingdom. References Fanon, F., 1991. Black Skin, White Masks. London: Pluto Press. Hammack, P., 2003. Toward a unified theory of depression among urban African American youth: Integrating socioecological, cognitive, family stress, and biopsychosocial perspectives. Journal of Black Psychology, 29, pp.187-209 Hickling, F., 2005. The epidemiology of schizophrenia, and other common mental health disorders in the English-speaking Caribbean. Pan American Journal of Public Health, 18(4-5), pp.256-262. Sugarman, P., & Craufurd, D., 1994. Schizophrenia in the Afro-Caribbean community. British Journal of Psychiatry, 164, pp. 474 -480 Veling, W., Selten, P., Susser, E., Laan, W. Mackenbach, J & Hoek, H., 2007. Discrimination and the incidence of psychotic disorders among ethnic minorities in The Netherlands. International Journal of Epidemiology, 36, 761-768. Veling, W, Susser E, Van J, Mackenbach J, Selten J, & Hoek H., 2008. Ethnic density of neighborhoods and incidence of psychotic disorders among immigrants. American Journal of Psychiatry, 165, pp.66-73 Whitley, R., Prince, M., McKenzie, K., Stewart, R., 2006. Exploring the ethnic density effect: A qualitative study of a London electoral ward. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 52, pp.376-391 Read More