Socio-demographic and clinical profiles of paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenia: a prospective, multicenter study in China.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of paranoid and nonparanoid subtypes of schizophrenia.

DESIGN AND

METHODS

In a multicenter, randomized, controlled, longitudinal study, 374 clinically stable schizophrenia patients were interviewed at entry with standardized assessment instruments and followed for 12-26 months.

FINDINGS: In the multivariate analysis, male sex, married marital status, urban abode, and more frequent relapse over the study period were independently associated with paranoid schizophrenia.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of Chinese patients with the paranoid subtype of schizophrenia are different from those of their Caucasian counterparts who are more likely to be women and have a better outcome.