Prevalence and incidence of schizophrenic disorders in Portogruaro. An Italian case register study

The authors report a study of treated prevalence and incidence of schizophrenic and related functional psychoses in an area of northeastern Italy (Portogruaro), based on case-register data. Point, 1-year, and lifetime prevalence as well as incidence rates on the adult population for a broad ICD-9 diagnosis of schizophrenia are given. Data over an 8-year period show the incidence around .2/1000, point prevalence around 1.4, 1-year prevalence of 2.7, and lifetime prevalence around 5.2. The rates peak in the 45 to 64 age group on all measures of prevalence. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of methodological issues in epidemiological studies of schizophrenia and comparisons are made with figures from other countries.