Ethnicity, primary care and non-psychotic disorders

Compared to the wealth of literature on the relationships between ethnicity, the psychoses and their management, relatively little is known about the primary care presentation, management and outcome of non-psychotic disorders such as anxiety and depression among patients from ethnic minorities. In the 16-65 age group, the ethnic groups most likely to attend the GP are men and women of Pakistani origin. Male Asians including those born in Britain and those originating from the Indian subcontinent and East Africa are more likely to consult the GP than the general population. Men of Afro-Caribbean origin also consult more than their white counterparts. Women of Afro-Caribbean and Asian origin do not appear to consult more than white women of British origin. When it comes to consultation rates for psychosocial problems, the picture is almost reversed: the group most likely to be diagnosed by the GP as having a non-psychotic mental illness are white women of British origin. The groups least likely to be diagnosed as having non-psychotic disorders are women of Asian and Afro-Caribbean origin. Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.