Continuity of contact with psychiatric services: Immigrant and Australian-born patients

Abstract

Background: Under-representation of ethnic minority groups in psychiatric services has been widely reported in Western nations. The present study examined whether there were differences between immigrant and Australian-born patients in their maintenance of contact with a statewide psychiatric service system. Methods: Groups were selected on the empirical grounds that they are differently represented in this service system. Employing a form of case-control design, four groups of patients were compared: those born in Australia, the United Kingdom, Southern Europe, and South East/East Asia respectively (n = 79 for each). Groups were identically matched on sex, age, diagnosis (either schizophren..