Panic disorder cases in Japanese-Brazilians in Japan: Their ethnic and cultural confusion

The comparatively high salaries made in Japan are attractive to many Japane se-Brazilians. The number of individuals from this ethnic group being treat ed in Japanese mental hospitals has increased. We hypothesized that Japanes e-Brazilian patients with panic disorders adjusted better to Japanese socie ty and culture than those with other mental disorders. The subjects in the present study are 40 Japanese-Brazilian patients undergoing treatment at th e Department of Psychiatry at Jichi Medical School, Japan, from May 1990 to September 1998. Patients were divided into a panic disorder group, a schiz ophrenic group, a mood disorder group and a neurosis group. Demographic dat a (Japanese language ability, duration of residence in Japan etc.) were col lected. A comparison was made among the four groups. Patients in the panic disorder group showed a significant tendency to be fluent speakers of Japan ese. Patients in the panic disorder group also had been in Japan for a sign ificantly longer period of time than those in the other three groups. Japan ese ability and length of residence in Japan rule out exacerbating factors due to a foreign living environment. Panic disorder patients usually have r esolved the problems inherent in living and working in a foreign country. I n general, Japanese-Brazilians are more comfortable both financially and so cially in Japan than other foreign laborers because of their cultural and f amily background. The emotional conflict experienced by such patients may r esult from concern over whether to live in Brazil or Japan in the future. T heir ethnic and cultural identity may be confused, fluctuating between iden tifying with Brazil and with Japan, and this may cause vague feelings of an xiety.