SOMATIC MORBIDITY IN SCHIZOPHRENIA - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Several studies have stated that rates of premature mortality of schiz ophrenic patients are increased. Morbidity, however, is less often exa mined. In the present study we have compared the number of hospitaliza tions due to different somatic diseases in 775 schizophrenic patients with their sex- and age-matched controls. The total number of patients hospitalized due to somatic diseases was significantly greater among the schizophrenics than among the controls. In the former group, 523 o ut of 775 and in the latter 373 out of 775 had been admitted at least once during a 15 y period. If the schizophrenic patients who also had been diagnosed as substance abusers at least once were excluded from t he analysis there was still a significant difference between the remai ning patients and their controls. The patients exhibited an over-morbi dity in almost all diagnostic groups, the most prominent excess morbid ity appeared in the groups of injuries and symptoms, signs and ill-def ined conditions, when compared with the controls. Even if there are co nfounding factors which should be taken into consideration when interp reting morbidity data, the pattern of excess morbidity among schizophr enic patients found in this study is so definite that it cannot be con sidered merely coincidental.