TY - JOUR
T1 - Sex difference in age of onset of schizophrenia
T2 - Findings from a community-based study in India
AU - Basappa Krishnamurthy, Venkatesh
AU - Thirthalli, Jagadisha
AU - Naveen, Macadi N.
AU - Kishorekumar, Kengeri V.
AU - Arunachala, Udupi
AU - Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan
AU - Subbakrishna, Doddaballapura K.
AU - Gangadhar, Bangalore N.
PY - 2008/10
Y1 - 2008/10
N2 - This study examined the sex difference in age of onset of schizophrenia in a community sample. Community-level health workers identified patients with symptoms of schizophrenia living in the community in a defined geographical area in South India. Two hundred and nine of them were diagnosed as having schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria by a team of psychiatrists. The age of onset of schizophrenia was assessed using the Interview for Retrospective Assessment of Onset of Schizophrenia (IRAOS). The mean age of onset of schizophrenia did not significantly differ between males (29.2±8.8 years) and females (30.8±11.4 years) (t = 1.12; p = 0.27). Among those with an age of onset ≤33 years, females had a significantly earlier onset; among those with an age of onset >33 years, females had a significantly later onset. The results from this community-based study confirm the previous findings in hospital-based patients in Asia. There is a need to revise the description of schizophrenia in the classificatory systems, keeping in view the regional variations in the age of onset of the disorder.
AB - This study examined the sex difference in age of onset of schizophrenia in a community sample. Community-level health workers identified patients with symptoms of schizophrenia living in the community in a defined geographical area in South India. Two hundred and nine of them were diagnosed as having schizophrenia according to ICD-10 criteria by a team of psychiatrists. The age of onset of schizophrenia was assessed using the Interview for Retrospective Assessment of Onset of Schizophrenia (IRAOS). The mean age of onset of schizophrenia did not significantly differ between males (29.2±8.8 years) and females (30.8±11.4 years) (t = 1.12; p = 0.27). Among those with an age of onset ≤33 years, females had a significantly earlier onset; among those with an age of onset >33 years, females had a significantly later onset. The results from this community-based study confirm the previous findings in hospital-based patients in Asia. There is a need to revise the description of schizophrenia in the classificatory systems, keeping in view the regional variations in the age of onset of the disorder.
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U2 - 10.1002/j.2051-5545.2008.tb00191.x
DO - 10.1002/j.2051-5545.2008.tb00191.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 18836543
AN - SCOPUS:57049117302
SN - 1723-8617
VL - 7
SP - 173
EP - 176
JO - World Psychiatry
JF - World Psychiatry
IS - 3
ER -