The diagnosis of schizophrenia: Changes influenced by operationalised diagnostic systems and effects on research on epidemiology and course of illness

Journal/Book: Psychiat Prax. 1998; 25: P O Box 30 11 20, D-70451 Stuttgart, Germany. Georg Thieme Verlag. 3-8.

Abstract: Both in classical German psychiatry and in the contemporary operationalised diagnostic systems schizophrenia is conceptualised as a categorial disorder, the presence or absence of which can be verified dichotomously. Empirical results, however, suggest that schizophrenia might be a dimensional disorder. The categorial perspective has advantages for epidemiological research; it produced important results like the finding of a world-wide equal incidence of schizophrenia. Increasing importance is attributed to the definition of criteria, especially those of duration, which is arbitrary in many aspects. Results cf research concerning the course of illness and sex distribution vary, depending on the definition of criteria, giving rise to different etiological hypotheses.

Note: Article Steinert T, Zfp Weissenau, Postfach 2044, D-88190 Ravensburg, GERMANY

Keyword(s): PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH; CRITERIA

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