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Gender Differences in Age at Onset and Course of Schizophrenic Disorders

A Contribution to the Understanding of the Disease?

  • Conference paper
Search for the Causes of Schizophrenia

Abstract

The phenomenon of a gender difference in age at onset of schizophrenia was described by Kraepelin (1909–1915). Since then numerous studies have been conducted which have quite consistently found that age at onset and at first admission is 5–10 years higher in females than in males. We have stressed the importance of this unusual finding and the lack of a valid explanation on several occasions (Häfner 1971, 1987, 1988; Häfner et al. 1989). Therefore we will refer only briefly to some more recent overviews. Angermeyer and Kühn (1988) reported on 53 studies from a total of 19 countries published by the end of 1983. In 50 of these, the investigators found a higher mean age in females than in males at first hospitalisation for schizophrenia. In the majority of studies the difference was 4–5 years. Harris and Jeste (1988) reviewed over 30 European studies on “late-onset schizophrenia” and found a clear predominance of female patients with first onset of the disease at an age of over 40 years.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Schizophrenia Research Unit, Central Institute of Mental Health, P.O. Box 122120, 6800, Mannheim 1, Germany

    A. Riecher, K. Maurer, W. Löffler, B. Fätkenheuer, W. An Der Heiden & H. Häfner

  2. Institute of Psychiatric Demography, Aarhus, Psychiatric Hospital, 8240, Risskov, Denmark

    P. Munk-Jørgensen & E. Strömgren

Authors
  1. A. Riecher
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  2. K. Maurer
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  3. W. Löffler
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  4. B. Fätkenheuer
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  5. W. An Der Heiden
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  6. P. Munk-Jørgensen
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  7. E. Strömgren
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  8. H. Häfner
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Central Institute of Mental Health, P.O. Box 122120, 6800, Mannheim 1, Germany

    Heinz Häfner  & Wagner Farid Gattaz  & 

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Riecher, A. et al. (1990). Gender Differences in Age at Onset and Course of Schizophrenic Disorders. In: Häfner, H., Gattaz, W.F. (eds) Search for the Causes of Schizophrenia. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74881-3_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74881-3_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-74883-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-74881-3

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