An Update on the Epidemiology of Schizophrenia^*

Abstract

While recent developments such as brain imaging and genetic linkage analysis have been rightly hailed as potential breakthroughs in the investigation of etiology, new technologies must not divert attention from basic problems which continue to hamper research in the field, or encourage the acceptance of overly simplistic answers to a complicated question. In order to study its etiology, a disorder must be clearly defined. While the precision of systems like the RDC (2) and the DSM-III-R (3) has improved diagnostic reliability, these systems are merely a convenient, shared illusion about how best to categorize a still elusive disorder. Conceptualizing the nature and critical features of schizophrenia is important to the mental health field.

The Economic Burden of Schizophrenia in Canada

“…A similar median rate of 5.9 per 1000 population was found by Dohrenwend in a review of US and European studies (4,5). The results from these review articles and increasingly more studies on the prevalence of schizophrenia (1,(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19) suggest that the 6-month to l-year prevalence is typically between 3 and 12 per 1000 population (8).…”

An Update on the Epidemiology of Schizophrenia with a Special Reference to Clinically Important Risk Factors

“…More complex models incorporating diagnosis, personal deficits, genetic, and environmental factors are now needed to further our understanding what we call schizophrenia (Beiser and Iacono 1990). Future analytic studies should combine multiple risk factors, aiding in clarifying the relative importance of different factors (i.e.…”

“…There is a large body of data suggesting that the extent of phenotypic heterogeneity in schizophrenia is too great to support a simple nosological model of the disorder (Jablensky 1997). What investigators study and call schizophrenia now may actually be a heterogeneous set of disorders (Beiser and Iacono 1990).…”

N-(1-Benzylpyrrolidin-3-yl)arylbenzamides as potent and selective human dopamine D4 antagonists

“…1 It is a particularly tragic disease because the most severe symptoms typically manifest in early adulthood, what would otherwise be the prime of life. 2 The symptoms of the disease are categorized into positive (e.g., hallucinations), negative (e.g., anhedonia and poverty of speech), and cognitive deficits. For years the positive symptoms of schizophrenia have been adequately controlled by neuroleptic medications.…”