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MIGRANTS are five times as likely to develop schizophrenia as locals, and men are 40 per cent more susceptible than women, concludes a review of more than 150 studies of the disorder from 33 countries. The results contradict the textbook view that the risk of schizophrenia is similar in different groups.

“This should be a wake-up call,” says John McGrath of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, who led the study. “If we can work out what the risk factors are, we may be able to come up with new prevention and treatment strategies.” The results appear in the online journal BMC Medicine.…

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