Gender characteristics of schizophrenia remission

BACKGROUND. Currently, it is relevant to study the gender characteristics of the incidence of schizophrenia, the age of onset, the features of the clinical picture and course of the disease, the response to treatment and the tolerability of antipsychotic drugs in patients.

AIM. The aim of the study was to study the clinical and functional characteristics of remission, depending on the gender of patients with schizophrenia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS. 61 outpatient patients with paranoid schizophrenia (28 men and 33 women) were examined at the stage of remission of the disease. Clinical and scale assessment was carried out using the PANSS, PSP, CGI-S, DAI scales.

RESULTS. There were more married women than men. Restriction of professional activity and social contacts was more often observed in male patients. Among patients without disabilities and patients with the 3rd disability group, female persons prevailed, while among patients with the 2nd disability group — men. It was shown that the age of onset of the disease was significantly less in men than in women. The indicator of the severity of the disease on the CGI-S scale during remission corresponded to moderate severity in men and mild severity in women (p <0.05). The severity of residual productive and, especially, negative symptoms is greater in male patients. The level of social and everyday functioning according to PSP is higher for women than for men. Noticeable disorders prevailed in patients of both sexes, however, they were observed more often among men, while women more often than male patients had minor difficulties in certain areas of functioning. The most pronounced differences were found in the degree of impaired functioning in the behavioral sphere. The paranoid type of remission unfavorable with respect to social functioning was more often observed in men. For women, the thymopathic type of remission turned out to be the most favorable from the point of view of compliance and social functioning. Antipsychotics of the first generation were more often prescribed for the paranoid type of remission in both men and women, while therapy with antipsychotics of the second generation was associated with the most favorable remission options for both men (apathetic type) and women (thymopathic type), which correlated with a higher level of social functioning. In general, the level of social functioning was higher when prescribing second-generation antipsychotics, regardless of the gender of patients with schizophrenia.

CONCLUSION. The hypothesis about the best outcome of the disease in the framework of personal and social recovery in women has been confirmed.