Summary
As part of a systematic research project on the influence of gender factors on age at onset, symptomatology, and course of schizophrenia, data on gender differences in age at onset and symptomatology of schizophrenia from the WHO Collaborative Study “On Assessment and Reduction of Psychiatric Disability” were compared between seven research centres of three different cultural regions. Results on age at onset of five European centres confirmed the well known fact of an earlier onset in men. The earlier onset in women seen in Khartoum and Ankara could be attributed to patient selection because male/female differences in age at onset and male/female ratios in the various samples covary. In the Islamic centres no relevant gender differences in real age at onset and in symptomatology could be detected as probable causes of earlier hospitalisation of women. Major gender differences in symptomatology were found in the Balkan centres of Sofia and Zagreb with a high prevalence of delusional symptoms in women and depression in men. In Western Europe centres, nuclear schizophrenic symptoms were equally prevalent in either sex, while nonspecific symptoms like irritability and tiredness (more frequent in women) and maladaptive illness behaviours like alcohol abuse and social withdrawal (more frequent in men) differed between the sexes. Explanatory hypotheses and the implications of these results are discussed.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Angermeyer MC, Kühn L (1988) Gender differences in age at onset of schizophrenia. Eur Arch Psychiatry Neurol Sci 237: 351–364
Biehl H, Maurer K, Jablensky A, Cooper JE, Tomov T (1989a) The WHO Psychological Impairments Rating Schedule (WHO/PIRS) I. Introducing a new instrument for rating observed behaviour and the rationale of the psychological impairment concept. Br J Psychiatry 155 [Suppl 7]: 68–70
Biehl H, Maurer K, Jung E, Krumm B (1989b) The WHO Psychological Impairment Rating Schedule (WHO/PIRS) II. Impairments in schizophrenics in cross-sectional and longitudinal perspective — The Mannheim experience in two independent samples. Br J Psychiatry 155 [Suppl 7]: 71–77
Buhrich N, Haq S (1980) Characteristics of first schizophrenic admissions to the general hospital Kuala Lumpur. Med J Malaysia 34: 269–272
Häfner H, Riecher A, Maurer K, Löffler W, Munk-Jørgensen P, Strömgren E (1989) How does gender influence age at first hospitalization for schizophrenia? Psychol Med 19: 903–918
Häfner H, Maurer K, Löffler W, Riecher-Rössler A (1991a) Schizophrenie und Lebensalter. Nervenarzt 62: 536–548
Häfner H, Riecher-Rössler A et al. (1991b) Geschlechtsunter schiede bei schizophrenen Erkrankungen. Fortschr Neurol Psychiatr 59: 343–360
Häfner H, Behrens S, De Vry J, Gattaz WF (1991c) Warum erkranken Frauen später an Schizophrenie? Erhöhung der Vulnerabilitätsschwelle durch Östrogen. Nervenheilkunde 10: 154–163
Ihezue UH, Kumaraswamy N, Onuora AN (1986) Socio-economic status and mental disorder-profile of Nigerian psychiatric inpatient population. Int J Soc Psychiatry 32: 29–38
Jablensky A, Schwarz R, Tomov T (1980) WHO collaborative study on impairments and disabilites associated with schizophrenic disorders. Acta Psychiatr Scand Suppl 285: 152–163
Jablensky A (1987) Multicultural studies and the nature of schizophrenia—a review. J Royal Soc Med 80: 162–167
Katchadonrian H, Racy J (1969) The diagnostic distribution of treated psychiatric illness in Lebanon. Br J Psychiatry 115: 1309
Pogue-Geile MF, Harrow M (1985) Negative symptoms in schizophrenia: their longitudinal course and prognostic importance. Schizophr Bull 11: 427–439
Riecher A, Maurer K, Löffler W, Fätkenheuer B, Heiden W an der, Munk-Jørgensen P, Strömgren E, Häfner H (1991) Sex differences in age at onset and course of schizophrenic disorders — a contribution to the understanding of the disease? In: Häfner H, Gattaz WF (eds) Search for the causes of schizophrenia, Vol 2. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, S 14–33
Sartorius N, Jablensky A, Korten A et al. (1986) Early manifestations and first-contact incidence of schizophrenia in different cultures. Psychol Med 16: 909–928
Schwarz R (1976) Zur Psychiatrie in Algerien. Soc Psychiatry 11:87–97
Sikanartey T, Eaton WW (1984) Prevalence of schizophrenia in the Labadi district of Ghana. Acta Psychiatr Scand 69: 156–161
Tsoi WF, Chen AJ (1979) New admissions to Woodbridge Hospital 1975 with special reference to schizophrenia. Ann Acad Med Singapore 8: 275–279
Tsuang MT, Dempsey GM, Ranscher F (1976) A study of “atypical schizophrenia”. Arch Gen Psychiatry 33: 1157–1160
Verghese A, John J, Menon DK et al. (1985) Factors associated with the course and outcome of schizophrenia: a multicentre follow-up study. Indian J Psychiatry 27: 201–206
Weiner BP, Marvit RC (1977) Schizophrenia in Hawaii: analysis of cohort mortality risk in a multiethnic population. Br J Psychiatry 131: 497–503
World Health Organization (1988) WHO Psychiatric Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO/DAS), World Health Organization Geneva
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hambrecht, M., Maurer, K. & Häfner, H. Gender differences in schizophrenia in three cultures. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 27, 117–121 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00788756
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00788756