THE COURSE OF SCHIZOPHRENIA OVER 13 YEARS - A REPORT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL STUDY ON SCHIZOPHRENIA (ISOS) COORDINATED BY THE WORLD-HEALTH-ORGANIZATION

Background. This paper describes the 13 year course of illness in an e pidemiologically defined and representative cohort of patients selecte d when they were experiencing their first episode of schizophrenia. Me thod. In a 13-year follow-up study of 67 patients with ICD-9 schizophr enia, identified in Nottingham in 1978-80, the course of illness (symp toms, disability and hospitalisation) was assessed using standardised instruments, applied at onset, 1, 2, and 13 years. Time to first relap se and first readmission were calculated and plotted as survival curve s and patients were assigned to the course types described by Ciompi. Results. The survival curves show that first relapses and first readmi ssions occur during the first five years. The amount of time spent in psychotic episodes and in hospital is greatest in the first year of fo llow-up, but stable thereafter. Social adjustment improves from entry to the study to the first follow-up year, but there is a small deterio ration in social adjustment between 2 and 13 years. Conclusions. The f indings reported suggest that after the initial episode the course of schizophrenia is relatively stable. The data support neither concepts of progressive deterioration nor progressive amelioration. There was n o evidence of a 'late recovery'.