[Epidemiology of schizophrenia]

Epidemiological studies of Schizophrenia have shed scant light on etiological factors involved in this disorder. They have been useful, however, in estimating the frequency of the disease (incidence of about 1/1 000 and prevalence of 2-10/1 000), the age of risk (adolescence and young adulthood) and identifying certain individual characteristics such as male sex, single or marital status and black race (USA data) which are associated with higher rates than those found in the general population. Recent studies indicate that in the next decade, the incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia are expected to rise substantially. The increased fertility of schizophrenic women, the reduced mortality rate due to better medical treatment of the chronically ill will play a part. But the major factor will be population trends. In the United States, the population most at risk for schizophrenia (young black males) is expected to expand by 42% and a parallel increase in the number of new cases should ensure. In order to forestall the consequences of this incipient epidemic, it is imperative that aggressive treatment programs be maintained and reinforced and that research efforts geared toward primary prevention be adequately supported.