S. Takahashi et al., Age at onset of schizophrenia: Gender differences and influence of temporal socioeconomic change, PSY CLIN N, 54(2), 2000, pp. 153-156
This study was undertaken to examine whether males develop schizophrenia at
a younger age than females, and whether temporal socioeconomic change affe
cts the age at onset of schizophrenia. The subjects were 848 ICD-9 schizoph
renics who were admitted to Nihon University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan, during
the period of 1955-64 (n = 468 (214 males and 254 females), group A) or du
ring the period of 1982-91 (n = 380 (220 males and 160 females), group B).
Schizophrenic males showed an earlier age at onset than schizophrenic femal
es. However, the mean age at onset of schizophrenia did not differ signific
antly between group A and group B. These results indicate that the gender d
ifference in age at onset of schizophrenia has not been influenced by tempo
ral socioeconomic change.