Urban upbringing and psychotic experiences in the United States: A racial and geographic comparison. (November 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Oh, Hans Y.; Koyanagi, Ai; DeVylder, Jordan E.; Link, Bruce
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 293(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-11
• Subjects: Urban -- Rural -- Psychotic experiences -- Black americans -- Race; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113372
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0165-1781

Abstract

Highlights: Urban upbringing was not significantly associated with lifetime or 12-month psychotic experiences for Whites, but was significantly associated with lower odds of lifetime psychotic experiences for Blacks. Rural upbringing was significantly associated with greater odds of lifetime auditory hallucinatory experiences for Blacks. When stratifying by region of the country, bring raised in a large city or 'other' environment were both associated with lifetime psychotic experiences for Whites currently residing in the Northast; growing up in a rural environment was associated with greater odds of lifetime psychotic experiences among Whites in the South, and Blacks in the West. Abstract: Urban upbringing has been associated with greater risk for psychotic experiences, though research is needed to confirm whether this is true in the U.S., and whether the association depends on race, type of experience, and region of the country. We analyzed data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (White respondents only) and the National Survey of American Life (Black respondents). Multivariable logistic regression models found that urban upbringing was not significantly associated with lifetime psychotic experiences for Whites, but was significantly associated with lower odds for Blacks, adjusting for socio-demographic covariates and common mental disorders. Rural upbringing was associated with greater odds of lifetime auditory hallucinatory experiences for Blacks. Exploratory analyses suggested growing up in a large city or 'other' environment were associated with greater odds of lifetime psychotic experiences among Whites currently residing in the Northeast, but lower odds among Whites residing in the South. For Blacks currently residing in the West, rural upbringing was associated with significantly greater odds of lifetime psychotic experiences when compared with growing up in a large city. White and Blacks may have different lived experiences in urban and rural settings, calling for more race- and location- specific research to explain these diverging patterns.