Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of inpatients with schizophrenia in psychiatry clinics

SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INPATIENTS WITH SCHIZOPHRENIA IN PSYCHIATRY CLINICS Objective: The aim of study as to determine the clinical and sociodemographic charecteristics of the inpatients admitted in Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and were hospitalized with the diagnosis of schizophrenia between the years 2010-2014. Patients were grouped according to the gender, number of hospital admissions, age of onset and the family history of psychiatric disorders and these groups were compared. Method: 208 patients who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia according to DSM IV TR and were hospitalized in Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine Balcalı Hospital Department of Psychiatry between 01 January 2010-31 December 2014. Data were obtained from hospital records of patients. Sociodemographic and clinical data form, Scale for the Assesment of Positive Symptoms and Scale for the Assesment of Negative Symptoms, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Overt Agression Scale and Insight Assessment Scale were filled by scanning previous patient files. Results: There was no significant differance between the mean age of female and male patients. The proportion of patients who has schizophrenia in their family (in the first or second degree relatives), was 22,6 % (n:47). The rate of patients with one or more dellusions was 98,6 % (n:205), the rate of patients with one more halucinations was 59,6 % (n:124). When the types of dellusions were examined, it was found that the majority of patients has persecution and referance delusions; when the types of hallucinations were examined, auditory and visual hallucinations were found in the majority of the patients. There was a significant difference in male patients, when a lifetime smoking, alcohol and substance abuse from sociodemographic data were examined by gender. The length of stay in hospital, the presence of organic disease and lifetime suicide attempts in female patients compared to male patients were statistically significantly higher. Suicide attempt by taking medicine in female patients was found statistically significantly higher than male patients. Marital status (single), profession (housewives/unemployed), the presence of psychiatric disorders in families have showed significant differance in early onset schizophrenia patients. The number of disease exacerbations and hospitalization shape (voluntarily) in early onset schizophrenia patients were found significantly higher than the late onset schizophrenia patients. Late onset schizophrenia, onset of the disease (fast) and hospitalization shape (forced) terms, were statistically significantly higher compared to patients with early onset schizophrenia. The number of patients with delusions of referance was found significantly higher in hospitalization group. Overt Aggression Scale mean of total scores in many hospitalization groups and the aggression to objects subscale of Overt Aggression Scale's average score were found significantly higher. Conclusion: In the light of the findings, some important differences were found between patient groups in sociodemographic, clinical characteristics and primary sympthoms in schizophrenia. The study which determined wider and homogeneous distribution samples in this subject and at same time meeting patients and their families can contribute to identify disease's clinical features more detailed. Key Words: schizophrenia, inpatient