Emotional Disorder, Status Inconsistency and Migration: A Health Questionnaire Survey in Jerusalem

Abstract

Utilizing the Cornell Medical Index (CMI) a health survey was carried out in a predominately immigrant neighborhood in Jerusalem in 1962-64. The 195 questions making up the CMI concern the presence of symptoms, illnesses, and mood and feeling patterns. Interviews were obtained with 542 women and 428 men representing approximately 1 in 6 of the population of the area selected for study. The prevalence of high CMI scores (30 or more positive responses) was 33% among men and 56% among women. The rate rose with age. The occurrence of high scores could be showing to be related to social status, status consistency, and nativity. Among younger adults, high scores were commoner among individuals of lower educational level or occupational grade and was independent of ethnic factors. High scores were associated with a discrepancy in either direction between educational and occupational status. In higher occupational grades, high scores were associated with low educational levels and the reverse situation was also true. Higher scores were seen among foreign-born persons than the small number of native -born Israelis studied. Amongthe native-born the relationship of high scores and social status and status inconsistency was not apparent. The findings are inter-pretedas indicative as associations between emotional disorder, social status, status inconsistency and migration.