title: Catatonic schizophrenia has a shorter pre-hospitalisation interval than other types of schizophrenia.
abstract: The time elapsed between the first onset of symptoms and the onset of first hospitalisation was analysed in 355 participants diagnosed with paranoid, simple, hebephrenic and catatonic schizophrenia and shizoaffective disorder. The real onset of the disease was assessed from interviews with reliable relatives and by reviewing medical records in general practices and out-patient psychiatric services. In 184 patients a family history of schizophrenia was identified. A positive family history was found to significantly increase the interval preceding first hospitalisation in all analysed types, except in catatonic schizophrenia. Possible reasons causing this prolongation are discussed, as well as repercussions of the results to studies using age of first hospitalisation as the leading indicator.
authors.affiliation: University Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital Vrapce, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mimica
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Henigsberg
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uzun
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ljubin
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Folnegović
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Folnegović-Smalc
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D012560:Schizophrenia, Catatonic / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012562:Schizophrenia, Disorganized / Q000453:epidemiology; D012563:Schizophrenia, Paranoid / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors