SCHIZOPHRENIA - IMPACT OF POSITIVE SYMPTOMS ON GENDER SOCIAL-ROLE

A cross-sectional survey was conducted at one public and one private s chizophrenia outpatient setting in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, in o rder to study gender differences in social disabilities. Sixty-nine pa tients who fulfilled DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia w ere assessed by means of Brazilian versions of PANSS (Positive and Neg ative Syndrome Scale) and DAS (Disability Assessment Scale). Males pre sented an earlier onset of the disease and were less likely to have ev er married. With respect to social disabilities, males fared worse tha n females on three items of DAS: self-care, under-activity and work pe rformance. The adjusted scores of Section 1 (Overall Behavior) and Sec tion 2 (Social Role Performance) were submitted to multiple regression analysis using the variables of sex, age of onset, age at examination , educational level, number of psychiatric admissions and the total sc ores of the positive and negative syndromes. Three variables explained a substantial part (45%) of the variance of overall behavior. These t hree were sex, age at examination, and negative syndrome total score. The higher the negative syndrome total score, the greater the disabili ties for both sexes. Three variables explained 38% of the variance of social role performance. These were sex, negative symptoms and an inte raction between sex and positive symptoms. The higher the negative syn drome total score, the greater the role impairment, regardless of sex. In women, but not in men, we found that the higher the positive syndr ome total score, the greater the impairment in social role performance . These findings are discussed in light of the possible impact of posi tive symptomatology on female social role.