Gender differences in the prediction of 5-year outcome in first episode psychosis

To examine gender differences in prediction of long-term outcome in first episode psychosis (FEP).

Eighty-one male and 72 female FEP patients were compared regarding the sensitivity and specificity of the Predictive Rating Scale (PRS). The contributions of pre-admission clinical and socio-demographic characteristics to a poor 5-year outcome were analysed for males and females separately. Gender differences in the relations between predictors and outcome were examined using the equality of correlation comparing correlation coefficients.

The sensitivity of the PRS was significantly better for males than for females. The following items: 'the highest Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) the year before first admission < or =70' and 'GAF at first admission < or =30' explained most of the variance of a poor 5-year outcome for males, whereas for females the corresponding items were 'the highest educational level is compulsory school', 'living with parents' and 'contact with friends < or =2-3 times/month'. When the PRS was adapted assigning a weight of two to the item 'the highest educational level is compulsory school' for females, the sensitivity increased.

This study revealed that the predictors for poor outcome differ between male and female patients with FEP.