Original scientific paper
FREQUENCY AND LENGTH OF SCHIZOPHRENIA ADMISSIONS: ANALYSIS BY ICD-10 DEFINED SUBTYPES
Neven HENIGSBERG
Vera FOLNEGOVIĆ-ŠMALC
Abstract
The frequency and length of admissions over 50 years were analyzed
in a sample of 10.268 schizophrenic patients according to
ICD-10 subtypes of schizophrenia. The lowest yearly hospitalization
frequencies during the risk period were observed in
simple, catatonic, unspecified and hebephrenic schizophrenia.
When the total sample was analyzed, unspecified schizophrenia
exhibited a significantly higher length of hospitalization than paranoid
and undifferentiated/other schizophrenia. However, after
the exclusion of continuous hospitalizations, unspecified schizophrenia,
in severe contrast, was identified as the subtype with
lowest admission length. This indicates the need for further research
in order to explore the homogeneity of that diagnostic category,
i.e. whether unspecified schizophrenia encompasses two
subgroups with significantly different courses. Despite the fact that
paranoid schizophrenia is generally considered as having the
best course and prognosis, this subtype did not have the lowest
frequency, nor length of hospitalization. A weak, but significant,
negative correlation was observed between admission rate and
the length of hospitalization for the total sample, and particularly
in the paranoid and residual schizophrenia subtypes. In conclusion,
subtypes of schizophrenia differ both in hospitalization
rate and length of admission. The introduction of additional
factors such as age at onset, gender, subtype presented at initial
course of disorder or subtype stability during further analyses
could help to identify groups that are more homogenous in their
course, prognosis, and, possibly, etiology.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
19737
URI
Publication date:
28.2.2002.
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