COMPARISON OF PEOPLE WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA FROM LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND AND SAKALWARA-BANGALORE, INDIA

The finding of better outcome of schizophrenia in developing countries offers challenges to the understanding of schizophrenia and opportuni ties for the development of care programmes in the developed world. Th is study aims to compare socio-demographic and clinical variables of p eople with schizophrenia in two cultures. Seventy-eight patients from Liverpool and 60 patients from Bangalore diagnosed as having schizophr enia were evaluated using a questionnaire designed to obtain socio-dem ographic and clinical characteristics. Patients from Liverpool compare d to Bangalore, comprised of more men, of younger age group, fewer pat ients ever-married, more patients living alone and more patients unemp loyed. In-patient treatment was common in Liverpool and rare in Bangal ore. Bangalore patients were more socially integrated than the Liverpo ol patients, who appeared socially marginalised. These findings have i mplications on developing future strategies of care in the community f or patients with schizophrenic illness in terms of emphasising the lif e history of ill persons and developing interventions to minimise marg inalisation and stigma.