title: Social and clinical comparison between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder type I with psychosis in Costa Rica.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia (SC) and bipolar disorder (BP) are two of the most severe and incapacitating mental disorders. It has been questioned whether these two conditions designate distinct illnesses with different etiologies or whether they represent different ends of a clinical spectrum with a common etiology.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study compares social and clinical characteristics of 84 SC and 84 BP subjects from the Costa Rican Central Valley (CRCV) using information from the DIGS, FIGS and psychiatric records. Each of these subjects had a best estimate lifetime consensus diagnosis of either bipolar type I or SC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Subjects with SC differed from subjects with BP in social adjustment measures like marital and employment status, and number of children. Both groups were very similar in years of education, age of onset of their illness, history of other psychiatric co-morbidities, and treatment received.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The high percentage of psychosis in the BP group (97.6%) may largely explain the similarities found between groups in their clinical characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The differences in social and functional decline support the original dichotomy described by Kraepelin based on chronicity and periodicity between these two psychotic disorders.
authors.affiliation: Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, University of Costa Rica, Sabanilla, Costa Rica. adrianapac@gmail.com
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barguil
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Contreras
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Montero
authors.forename: Albana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dassori
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Escamilla
authors.forename: Henriette
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Raventós
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D015897:Comorbidity; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D012917:Social Adjustment