Migration and psychotic experiences in the Tokyo Teen Cohort

Immigration has been shown to be associated with an increased risk for psychotic experiences, with similar effect sizes for first-generation and second-generation migration (i.e., children whose parents had migrated). However, this association varies by country, and by ethnic group at the within-country level, such that risk is greatest among migrants facing substantial social exclusion and disadvantage. This is the first study to our knowledge to examine migration as a potential risk factor for psychotic experiences in Japan.

Using data from the Tokyo Teen Cohort (N=3052), we tested whether migrant status was associated with the lifetime prevalence of psychotic experiences at age 10.

Only 2.2% of the sample (n=68) had at least one migrant parent. Psychotic experiences were more common among children with at least one migrant parent, odds ratio (95% CI) = 2.06(1.26-3.35). This association appeared to be driven primarily by visual hallucinations and thought broadcasting, and specific to children with lower IQ at age 10.

The findings suggest that migrant status is associated with increased likelihood of psychotic experiences at age 10 in Tokyo, Japan. Future prospective research should explore social exclusion as a potential underlying mechanism and can further clarify the protective role of IQ and related factors.