title: Marriage and outcomes of people with schizophrenia in rural China: 14-year follow-up study.
abstract: The influence of marriage on the long-term outcomes of schizophrenia is largely unknown. This study was to examine the impact of marriage on the 14-year outcomes and identify the correlates of marriage among persons with schizophrenia in rural community. All study participants with schizophrenia (n=510) were identified in 1994 in an epidemiological investigation of 123,572 people aged 15years and older and followed up in 2004 and 2008 in Xinjin County, Chengdu, China. The Patients Follow-up Schedule (PFS) was used in 2004 and 2008. The rate of follow-up in 2008 was 95.9%. Unmarried individuals in 1994 had higher rates of homelessness and suicide, and lower rate of survival in 2004 and 2008 than those married. In 14-year follow-up, unmarried individuals were more likely to be male, to have higher level of psychiatric symptoms and lower rate of full remission of illness, and to report lower level of work functioning, as well as with fewer family members and caregiver, and lower family economic status. The predictors of being married in 2008 included being married in 1994, shorter duration of illness, being female, and lower level of education. Being married is predictive of more favorable 14-year outcomes of persons with schizophrenia in the rural community. Given that marriage can be instrumental for enhancing family-based support and caregiving, as well as improving the community tenure of persons with schizophrenia, it is important to develop programs to enhance opportunity for persons with schizophrenia to get and stay married.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. Electronic address: msran@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Mao-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ran
authors.affiliation: School of Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Yin-Ling Irene
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Shu-Yan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Petula S Y
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Chengdu Mental Health Center, Chengdu 610036, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou HuiAi Hospital, Guangzhou 510370, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work and Social Administration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Cecilia Lai-Wan
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: China; Marriage; Outcome; Predictive factors; Schizophrenia