Premorbid sociosexual functioning and long-term outcome in schizophrenia

Am J Psychiatry. 1989 Feb;146(2):206-11. doi: 10.1176/ajp.146.2.206.

Abstract

Chronic schizophrenic patients with the most severe social deterioration have been shown to differ from other chronic schizophrenic patients with respect to measures of left-to-right ventricular asymmetry, negative symptoms, and response to haloperidol treatment. In the current study, the authors investigated the social antecedents of these characteristics of very poor outcome schizophrenia in 69 chronic schizophrenic patients. Poor premorbid sociosexual functioning was associated with more severe left-to-right ventricular asymmetry, greater severity of negative symptoms, fewer positive symptoms, and worse current social functioning. These data suggest that factors associated with severe social deterioration in the end stage of schizophrenia are also associated with premorbid sociosexual impairment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Cerebral Ventricles / anatomy & histology
  • Chronic Disease
  • Haloperidol / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care
  • Schizophrenia / diagnosis*
  • Schizophrenia / drug therapy
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*
  • Sexual Behavior*
  • Social Adjustment*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Haloperidol