A Group of 207 subjects with severely schizophrenic mothers and a matched group 104 subjects without known mental illness in the parents or grandparents have been followed since 1962 in a prospective study based on Mednick's learning theory of schizophrenia. The present paper describes an analysis of the clinical outcome based on a follow-up examination in 1972-1974. The examination consisted of a 3 1/2-hour clinical interview using three approaches (two with computer-derived diagnoses and one traditional clinical interview). 173 high-risk and 91 low-risk subjects were fully clinically reassessed. At the time of the assessment they were between 18 and 30 years old. The diagnostic distribution showed marked differences between the two groups with regard to type and degree of psychpathology. The results are discussed in relation to the methods used, and with regard to the case and non-case status of the subjects.
Of 110 consecutive, young schizophrenic patients, 18 (16.4%) died during a follow-up period of 14-17 years from first admission. Fifteen of them met with a sudden death. Definite suicide was proven in 10 cases (9%). Suicide was associated with chronicity in course, social dependency, and lowered efficiency. Some type of warning was present in all suicide cases. The frequency of suicide thoughts and attempts was high in the whole material. Suicide attempts were associated with protracted non-regressive symptomatology, readmission to hospital, social intervention, and female sex. The disparity of characteristics between attempted suicide and definite suicide cases may partly be explained by the preponderance of women among the former and by the fact that only half of the suicidal deaths occurred when the frequency of attempts was at its peak. In attempted suicide in men their characteristics were compatible with those of the whole group, as well as with those of the suicide cases.
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