Deficit states in schizophrenia and their association with the length of illness and gender

The present study investigated the association between the frequency of deficit states (DS) and the length of illness and gender in schizophrenic patients. The following hypotheses were examined: 1) there is an association between the length of schizophrenic illness and the frequency of DS and 2) the frequency of DS in patients with comparable length of illness is higher in males than in females. Patients, included in the study, were consecutively hospitalized and diagnosed according to ICD-9 criteria (ICD-9: 295-295.9). Psychopathological assessment was performed in a standardized manner. Group differences were evaluated by using the t-test or the chi-square statistics. Variables with a possible impact on the occurrence of DS were entered into a backward multiple logistic regression model. 622 patients (total = 3914) were classified as having a DS. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of having a DS was increased with a longer duration of illness (OR = 1.68) and was reduced for female gender (OR = 0.56). The findings are in line with the hypothesis that apart from a neurodevelopmental origin, the schizophrenic illness may also have a progressive neurodegenerative component, which clinically emerges as DS.