Posted by OddipusRex on January 31, 2003, at 18:36:18
In reply to Re: Stigma » sjb, posted by judy1 on January 31, 2003, at 10:11:30
This is a little off topic but still...
http://www.salon.com/books/it/1999/12/01/schizo/print.html
This is an article about the overdiagnosis of schizophrenia in Black people. It suggests that there is some racism in the diagnosis-that Black people are seen as less valuable and less likely to be harmed by a diagnosis of Schizo. Or that possibly it is the Black person's discomfort with the white MH establishment which may be misinterpreted as paranoia. Or that unfamiliarity with the Black patient's culture may cause faulty diagnoses.
On the other hand they suggest that there may well be some racially based genetic predisposition to schizophrenia that nobody is willing to investigate for fear of being called racist.
Thought it was interesting.
> I don't think so, I think mental illness stigma transcends all others. take care, judy
poster:OddipusRex
thread:35888
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030120/msgs/36003.html