A 70 year old female with psychiatric symptoms diagnosed of having schizophrenia. Which is the poor prognostic factor in schizophrenia?
Predictors of poorer outcome in schizophrenia:Age below 20Dilated ventricles, brain atrophy in CT or MRINegative symptoms (e.g., flat affect, povey of thought, apathy, asociality); obsessive-compulsive symptomsIrregular occupational recordInsidious onsetSlow rate of progressionmalesYears of duration prior to assessmentCannabis useAbsence of precipitating factorsStressful lifeFamily history of schizophrenia (not affective disorder)Presence of other adverse social factorsPrenatal adverse eventsPresence of ceain gene polymorphism, e.g., COMT. NMDA2APRef: Meltzer H.Y., Bobo W.V., Heckers S.H., Fatemi H.S. (2008). Chapter 16. Schizophrenia. In M.H. Ebe, P.T. Loosen, B. Nurcombe, J.F. Leckman (Eds),CURRENT Diagnosis & Treatment: Psychiatry, 2e.
Acute onset
Middle age
Family history of affective disorder
Gradual onset