The psychopathology of black and white schizophrenics was compared in 275 consecutive admissions of schizophrenics, who were rated on two rating scales by psychiatrists, using a structured interview. There were significant differences between black and white schizophrenics; blacks exhibited more frequent symptoms of angry outbursts, poor communication, disorientation, asocial behaviour and auditory and visual hallucinations, while whites showed more frequent symptoms of unsystematized delusions. When controlled for sex, additional symptom differences were found for female schizophrenics; blacks were more often excited, ambivalent, rigid and dysphoric. For male schizophrenics, all symptom differences disappeared except one; blacks were more frequently asocial.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of 275 schizophrenics consecutively admitted to seven hospitals were examined. Males were younger than females when first hospitalized, diagnosed and treated. Psychiatrists rated on two rating scales by using a structured interview to compare the symptomatology. Female schizophrenics were more agitated, inappropriate, silly, irrelevant, over-talkative, and exhibiting more flight of ideas, while male schizophrenics were more slowed, hypoactive, grandiose, withdrawn, and showing more blocking, auditory hallucinations and poor communications. Katz Adjustment Scales were rated by the patients and their relatives. Female schizophrenics were perceived by relatives to be more helpless and withdrawn-depressed than male schizophrenics.

Taking into account these findings, more attention should be paid to psychiatrists' and general practitioners' expectations to reduce problems of interaction between clinicians and their colleagues in private practice; this might be helpful to improve the continuity of psychiatric care.