Acute admissions among immigrantsand asylum seekers to a psychiatric hospital inNorway

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to compare admissionrates, including admission by coercion, length of hospital stayand diagnosis among immigrants, asylum seekers andNorwegian-born patients.Material: All admissions (n=3053) to Østmarka Hospital during theperiod 1995–2000 were examined. A sample including allimmigrants (94) and asylum seekers (39) as well as a controlgroup of 133 Norwegians was analysed.Results: Immigrants and Norwegians had the same relative risk ofadmission (1.07). The relative risk of admission was higher forasylum seekers compared to Norwegians (8.84). There weredifferences in the diagnoses given at discharge in the threegroups of patients, both among men(²=22.33, df=6, p<0.001) andwomen (²=15.31, df=6, p<0.001).Schizophrenia was frequent among female immigrants. The numberof admissions by coercion was highest among immigrants, andlowest among asylum seekers(²=12.03, df=2, p<0.005).Conclusion: Compared to Norwegians and immigrants, asylum seekers hadhigh admission rates and low frequency of admissions bycoercion. Schizophrenia was frequent among female immigrantsadmitted to hospital.