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The natural history of schizophrenia: a 5-year prospective follow-up of a representative sample of schizophrenics by means of a standardized clinical and social assessment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

D. C. Watt
Affiliation:
St John's Hospital, Stone, Nr Aylesbury; and the Institute of Psychiatry, London
K. Katz
Affiliation:
St John's Hospital, Stone, Nr Aylesbury; and the Institute of Psychiatry, London
M. Shepherd*
Affiliation:
St John's Hospital, Stone, Nr Aylesbury; and the Institute of Psychiatry, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Professor M. Shepherd. Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF.

Synopsis

A comprehensive, representative cohort of 121 schizophrenics from a delimited catchment area, hospitalized in the course of 20 months (1973–4) and who met PSE criteria, was collected for a therapeutic trial (1976–6) in which, during the year after discharge, standardized clinical and social assessments has been made by personal interview at home. Standardized observations were repeated 4 years later. Follow-up was 99% complete. 48% of the cohort and 58% of the first admissions had a good outcome. Females fared significantly better than males.

Type
Preliminary Communications
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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