SCHIZOPHRENIA IN CROATIA - AGE-OF-ONSET DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MALES ANDFEMALES

The age of disease onset, the age at first admission and the age of fi rst admission with a schizophrenia diagnosis were determined in a samp le of 679 patients (356 males and 323 females) representing 8069 schiz ophrenics hospitalized in Croatia in the 1962-1971 period and followed up in an epidemiologic held study until 1991. Male and female patient s were not found to differ significantly either in the average age of schizophrenia onset or age at first admission. In the majority of fema les the disease started at a slightly earlier age than in males, which might be due to the general biological and psychosocial differences b etween males and females. The age of females at first admission with a schizophrenia diagnosis was significantly higher than that of males. The differences between the schizophrenic males and females in the len gth of the preadmission period and diagnostic process, as well as in m ortality, may contribute cumulatively to the recording of onset for fe male schizophrenics at a higher age in comparison to male schizophreni cs.