[Schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders in general hospital]

The prevalence and clinical presentation of schizophrenia and schizophrenia spectrum disorders in general hospitals were studied. The disease incidence rate was estimated at 3.1% that was 3 times higher than that in general population. Slow-progredient (latent) schizophrenia with comorbid functional visceral disorders ("organoneurotic" schizophrenia) occurs most frequently. Once manifested, the latter was associated with somatoform disorders during the disease course and developed concomitantly with neurotic and overvalued hypochondria symptoms. The authors suggest that several variants of complex relations between the endogeneous disease (schizophrenia) severity and functional somatic disorders. Slow-progredient (latent) disease reveals an affinity to a number of somatic disorders associated with neurotic and overvalued hypochondria. In more severe disease forms combination of endogenous process with somatoform disorders is accompanied by development of hypochondria with stable algias. In progressive (paranoid) schizophrenia, association with somatoform disorders occurs only at the initial stage of the process. Somatic sensations trigger formation of delusion symptom complexes of cathestesic delusion type.