title: Low prevalence of age disorientation in Dutch long-stay patients.
abstract: Studies in Great-Britain and the USA have established the prevalence of 'age disorientation', defined as a discrepancy between true and subjective age of five years or more, as approximately 25% in the population of long-stay patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. We examined all schizophrenic patients in long-stay wards of three mental hospitals and found a prevalence of 6% (95% CI: 0.9-10.6%). We have no definitive explanation for this finding. 'Age disorientation' may be the result of an interaction between a serious form of the illness and poor psychosocial treatment.
authors.affiliation: Rosenburg Psychiatric Hospital, The Hague, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Selten
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Cath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003221:Confusion / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology