Summary
Gender-specific analyses of the multinational WHO-Determinants of Outcome-Study (including 1,292 cases from 10 countries) demonstrate the transnational stability of major findings on gender differences in schizophrenia: Male patients have an earlier mean age at onset in all countries. In female patients, the distribution of the age at onset shows a second peak after age 40 years. No gender differences on nuclear symptoms of schizophrenia can be detected, but on uncharacteristic symptoms, particularly some aspects of the illness behaviour, differences appear. This investigation supports the transcultural validity of gender differences found in the German ABC-Schizophrenia-Study and in the Danish-German Psychiatric Case Register studies.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Angermeyer MC, Kühn L (1988) Gender differences in age at onset of schizophrenia. An overview. Eur Arch Psychiatry neurol Sci 237:351–364
Bauer P, Hommel G, Sonnemann E (1988) Multiple Hypothesenprüfung/Multiple Hypotheses Testing. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Castle DJ, Murray RM (1991) The neurodevelopmental basis of sex differences in schizophrenia (editorial). Psychol Med 21: 565–575
Flor-Henry P (1990) Influence of gender in schizophrenia as related to psychopathological syndromes. Schizophr Bull 16:211–227
Haas GL, Glick ID, Clarkin JF, et al (1990) Gender and schizophrenia outcome: a clinical trial of an inpatient family intervention. Schizophr Bull 16:277–292
Häfner H (1987) Epidemiology of schizophrenia. In: Häfner H, Gattaz WF, Janzarik W (eds) Search for the causes of schizophrenia. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, 47–74
Häfner H, Riecher A, Maurer K, et al (1989) How does gender influence age at first hospitalization for schizophrenia? Psychol Med 19:903–918
Häfner H, Maurer K, Löffler W, Riecher-Rössler A (1991) Schizophrenie und Lebensalter. nervenarzt 62:536–545
Häfner H, Maurer K (1991) Are there two types of schizophrenia? — True onset and sequence of positive and negative syndromes prior to first admission. In: Marneros A, Andreasen N, Tsuang MT (eds) Negative versus positive schizophrenia. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, 134–159
Häfner H, Riecher A, Hambrecht M, et al (1992a) IRAOS: An instrument for the assessment of onset and early course of schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research 6:209–223
Häfner H, Maurer K, Riecher-Rössler A, et al (1992b) Why is the onset of schizophrenia later in women? Testing a psychosocial versus a biological model of explanation. Paper in preparation
Hambrecht M, Maurer K, Häfner H (1992a) Gender differences in schizophrenia in three cultures. Results from the collaborative WHO Disability-Study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 27:117–121
Hambrecht M, Maurer K, Häfner H (1992b) Evidence for a gender bias in epidemiological studies on schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research, accepted for publication
Jablensky A (1987a) Multicultural studies and the nature of schizophrenia: a review. J R Soc Med 80:162–167
Jablensky A (1987b) Epidemiology of schizophrenia. Paper presented at the Mental Health Foundation Conference: New initiatives in schizophrenia research, Balliol College, Oxford, 2–4 Sept 1987
Jablensky A, Schwarz R, Tomov T (1980) WHO collaborative study on impairments and disabilities associated with schizophrenic disorders. Acta Psychiatr Scand, Suppl. 285:152–163
Katchadourian H, Racy J (1969) The diagnostic distribution of treated psychiatric illness in Lebanon. Brit J Psychiatr 115:1309
Kraepelin E (1909–1915) Psychiatrie, Barth, Leipzig
Lewine RRJ (1988) Gender and schizophrenia. In: Tsuang MT, Simpson JC (eds) Handbook of schizophrenia, Vol. III. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 379–397
Löffler W, Fätkenheuer B, Maurer K, et al (1992) Validierung dänischer Fallregisterdiagnosen an einer Krankenaktenstichprobe, in preparation
Loranger AW (1984) Sex difference in age at onset of schizophrenia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 41:157–161
Maurer K, Häfner H (1991) Dependence, independence or interdependence of positive and negative symptoms. In: Marneros A, Andreasen N, Tsuang MT (eds) Negative versus positive schizophrenia. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, 160–182
Riecher A, Maurer K, Löffler W, et al (1991) Gender differences in age at onset and course of schizophrenic disorders — contribution to the understanding of the disease? In: Häfner H, Gattaz WF (eds) Search for the causes of schizophrenia. Vol. II, Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York 14–33
Sartorius N, Jablensky A, Korten A, et al (1986) Early manifestations and first-contact incidence of schizophrenia in different cultures. Psychol Med 16:909–928
Seeman MV (1982) Gender differences in schizophrenia. Can J Psychiatry 27:107–112
Strömgren E (1935) Zum Ersatz des Weinbergschen „abgekürzten Verfahrens”. Zugleich ein Beitrag zur Frage von der Erblichkeit des Erkrankungsalters bei Schizophrenie. Z für gesamte Neurol und Psychiatr 153:784–797
Test MA, Burke S, and Wallisch LS (1990) Gender differences in young adults with schizophrenic disorders in community care. Schizophr Bull 16:331–344
Wing JK, Cooper, JE, Sartorius N (1973) Present State Examination (PSE) Medical Research Council/Cambridge University Press
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hambrecht, M., Maurer, K., Häfner, H. et al. Transnational stability of gender differences in schizophrenia?. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Nuerosci 242, 6–12 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190336
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02190336