KEY SYMPTOMS IN PATIENTS WITH A PSYCHOTIC SYNDROME IN NEED FOR COMPULSORY CARE

Schizophrenia and schizophrenia like psychoses were significantly more common in the patients admitted for compulsory treatment. Thus, in th e rest of the comparisons, the interest was focused on the 60 compulso rily treated and 33 voluntarily admitted patients with schizophrenia s chizophrenia-like psychosis. Contrary to our expectations, there were no significant differences as concerns age, sex, medication or social functioning during the year previous to admission and no symptoms were significantly more common among the compulsorily treated patients, ex cept for hostility. The main reasons for compulsory treatment turned o ut to be the presence of pre -and postadmission violent acts and pread mission suicidal behaviour.