Social outcome in schizophrenia: a 13-year follow-up

The cohort consists of all psychiatric patients (n = 53) admitted for the first time in 1972 from a well-defined catchment area with a population of 582,000 inhabitants aged 15 years and over. Furthermore, they were all registered with the diagnosis schizophrenia in the nation-wide psychiatric register at least once during an observation period from the day of the first admission in 1972 until August 31, 1983. The entire cohort was followed up on average 13 years after their first admission. Poor employment outcome (79%), poor social contact outcome (55%), and poor overall social outcome (76%) characterized the living conditions of the 42 patients alive at follow-up. Good employment outcome was predicted by "born in rural area." Good social contact outcome was predicted by full remission at first discharge and poor outcome by male sex. Good overall social outcome was predicted by "born in rural area" and of marginal significance by high social status at first admission. A comparison of parents' highest social group and patients' social group at follow-up supports previous findings on social drift.