Young males more at risk of mental disorders: Study

London, March 3: Young males are more likely to experience first- episode psychosis, defined as the first manifestation of one or more severe mental disorders including schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, compared to women in the same age group, a study has found.

Ethnic minorities and people living in socioeconomically disadvantaged area are also at risk of developing severe mental disorders, according to researchers at University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil.

In European countries, these disorders have been found to be more frequent in large cities than smaller towns or rural areas and also to be relatively frequent among ethnic minorities.

The researchers conducted an investigation in 17 urban and rural areas in six participating countries — England, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Brazil — between 2010 and 2015.

The study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, also showed that the incidence of first- episode psychosis was higher among men aged 18 to 24 than among women in the same age group.

The researchers noted that the incidence of first- episode psychosis among young adult males is higher than among young adult females according to previous research, which also shows that as men approach 35, it tends to converge with the incidence among women.

In women aged 45- 54, it is slightly higher than among men in the same age group.