Abstract

*Deepthi R., V. Vaishnavi, L. Uma Maheshwar

ABSTRACT

Background: schizophrenia is psychiatric illness and poorly understand debilitating mental disorder. The cause of schizophrenia is a multifactorial. There are various risk factors for the development of the disease. The prior assessment of risk factor can arbitrate its cause of the disease. PANSS (Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) is a gold standard assessment tool used in schizophrenia to identify the psychopathologic symptoms. Aim: To assess and identify the risk factors in schizophrenia patients. And secondly, to examine the severity of psychopathologic symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Methods: the sample of cases were collected from Jaya Krishna psychiatric care and counselling centre in Warangal region. The sample collection was for a period of 3 months by using an observational prospective (cross sectional study) method. The score of PANSS is evaluated by using mean and SD (standard Deviation) method. Results: patients with schizophrenia (155) of both sexes aged above 10 - 90 years were included. In the Age group (26-35) years females were more significantly affected. Late onset of disease affected in males whereas early onset in females. schizophrenia is mostly observed in rural area patients. Illiterate or uneducated patients, Unemployed patients, married patients and positive family history are more significantly related to the schizophrenia. Stressful life events especially problems in the work or financial issues, family problems are highly significant and strongly related to the disease. Advanced paternal age is moderately significant to the development of schizophrenia. Epilepsy, head injuries and other mental and neurological disorders are frequently found among the patients in our study. Adverse childhood experiences, patients with comorbidities and perinatal complications like difficult labor and neo natal death are least significantly related to schizophrenia. The distribution characteristics of PANSS were mean and SD, positive symptom score (17.18 and 6.31), negative symptom score (19.4 and 6.73), general psychopathology score (45.93 and 15.08). Conclusion: In the present study, multiple risk factors were strongly and exceptionally related to schizophrenia. Factors like substance use like advance paternal age, marriage, alcohol and tobacco are moderately significant to schizophrenia. Future research should explore potential protective risk factors and there is in need of diagnostic tool for schizophrenia risk factor assessment and diagnostic procedure.