title: Older patients with schizophrenia: nature of dwelling status and symptom severity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This cross-sectional study enrolled elderly patients with diagnoses of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 85 subjects were dichotomized into two groups on the basis of dwelling status: those living independently (N=35) and those living in residential settings (N=50). The groups were compared with regard to scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS), the Geriatric Depression Scale and by age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients living independently had significantly higher MMSE scores, lower SANS scores, more years of education, and were younger than the patients living in residential settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that although cognition, negative symptoms, and age are important discriminators with regard to dwelling status, cognition and negative symptoms appear to have the strongest impact.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Olean General Hospital, NY, USA. sgupta1@adelphia.net
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steinmeyer
authors.forename: Bradford
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lockwood
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lentz
authors.forename: Kay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012112:Residential Facilities; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index