Past Issues

Objective: To examine gender differences in symptomatology among schizophrenic inpatients. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed and 254 (118male, 136 female) schizophrenic inpatients admitted to a regional psychiatric institute between July 1, 2004 and June, 30, 2005 were enrolled. Information on socio-demographic factors, delusional contents, history of suicide/homicide and symptom severity were collected using a standardized coding sheet. Student t-test and chi-square analyses were used to compare gender differences. Results: Female subjects experienced more jealous / erotic delusions compared to their male counterparts. (male 7.6% vs. female 19.9%, p ＝ 0.006) Furthermore, female patients tended to identify their significant others as persecutors (p=0.015). Female schizophrenic patients were more likely to report past suicidal ideations, whereas male patients reported more violent episodes. As for treatment, on admission, male subjects were more likely to be transferred to intensive care units, however, other interventions such as intramuscular injection of antipsychotics, physical restraints and electroconvulsive treatment did not differ by gender. Conclusions: We conclude that there are gender differences in the content of delusions, suicide/violence history, and treatment interventions among schizophrenia patients. (Full text in Chinese)