Clinical characteristics of schizophrenia: Israeli Bedouin compared with Palestinian Arabs in Israel and the Palestinian Authority

As part of a genetic study of schizophrenia, symptomswere studied in 50 Bethlehem Palestinian patientswith schizophrenia, 61 Israeli Negev Bedouins withschizophrenia and 63 Israeli Galilee Arab patients withschizophrenia. The content and character of theschizophrenic psychosis was significantly different in thethree groups studied. While all three groups are Arabicspeaking Muslims, their social circumstances differand this could explain the differences in clinicalphenomenology of schizophrenia. The results may relateto differences in clinical phenomenology of schizophreniareported in different areas of the world.