The prevalence and diagnostic significance of Schneiderian first-rank symptoms in a random sample of acute psychiatric in-patients.
Ninety-nine acute in-patients were interviewed within four days of admission to hospital. The interview included items concerning all 11 first-rank symptoms. Two definitions (wide and narrow) of each first-rank symptom were employed. Three definitions of schizophrenia and a research diagnosis of major affective disorder were used to determine their relationship with first-rank symptoms. Of subjects with schizophrenia, 73% had first-rank symptoms, as had five (14%) of 34 subjects with affective disorder. The results do not support the hypothesis that first-rank symptoms are specific to schizophrenia, although the specificity of first-rank symptoms for schizophrenia increased if a narrow rather than a wide definition of symptoms was employed.
O'Grady
J C
JC
Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle Upon Tyne.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011897:Random Allocation; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D013997:Time Factors