Migration during adolescence linked to increased psychosis risk, study finds | Risk found to be highest among black and north African people, as experts call for better mental health provision

From the article: People who migrate in adolescence have an increased risk of psychosis, researchers have found, noting the link is particularly strong among black and north African people.

While research has previously suggested migration could play a role in the increased risk of psychosis among people from ethnic minorities, the study suggests age could be an important factor.

James Kirkbride, a professor of psychiatric and social epidemiology at University College London (UCL) and co-author of the study, said adolescence was a time when individuals were forming a sense of identity and experiencing social, cognitive and neurological development.

He said: “So migrating during adolescence, which interrupts social network formation, and may require teenage migrants to learn a new language, navigate new social and cultural norms and customs, and manage new social environments – including potential exposure to racism and discrimination known to be associated with psychosis risk – could all play a part in making adolescent migration a particularly vulnerable period for increasing future psychosis risk.”