Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-dnltx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T09:03:11.826Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Prevalence and Diagnostic Significance of Schneiderian First-Rank Symptoms in a Random Sample of Acute Psychiatric In-patients

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2018

John C. O'Grady*
Affiliation:
Newcastle General Hospital, Westgate Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE4 6BE;, St Nicholas Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne

Abstract

Ninety-nine acute in-patients were interviewed within four days of admission to hospital. The interview included items concerning all 11 first-rank symptoms. Two definitions (wide and narrow) of each first-rank symptom were employed. Three definitions of schizophrenia and a research diagnosis of major affective disorder were used to determine their relationship with first-rank symptoms. Of subjects with schizophrenia, 73% had first-rank symptoms, as had five (14%) of 34 subjects with affective disorder. The results do not support the hypothesis that first-rank symptoms are specific to schizophrenia, although the specificity of first-rank symptoms for schizophrenia increased if a narrow rather than a wide definition of symptoms was employed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1990 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Astrachan, B. M., Harrow, M., Adler, D., et al (1972) A checklist for the diagnosis of schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 121, 529539.Google Scholar
Brockington, I. F. & Leff, J. P. (1978) Definitions of schizophrenia: concordance and prediction of outcome. Psychological Medicine, 8, 387398.Google Scholar
Brockington, I. F., Kendell, R. E. & Wainright, S. (1980a) Depressed patients with schizophrenic or paranoid symptoms. Psychological Medicine, 10, 665667.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brockington, I. F., Wainwright, S. & Kendell, R. E. (1980b) Manic patients with schizophrenic or paranoid symptoms. Psychological Medicine, 10, 7383.Google Scholar
Carpenter, W. T., Strauss, J. S. & Barko, J. J. (1973a) Flexible system for the diagnosis of schizophrenia: report from the WHO Pilot Study of Schizophrenia. Science, 182, 12751278.Google Scholar
Carpenter, W. T., Strauss, J. S. & Mulec, S. (1973b) Are there pathogonomic symptoms in schizophrenia? Archives of General Psychiatry, 28, 847852.Google Scholar
Carpenter, W. T., Strauss, J. S. (1974) Cross cultural evaluation of Schneider's first rank symptoms: a report from the IPPS. American Journal of Psychiatry, 131, 682687.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cloninger, C. R., Martin, T. L., Guze, S. B., et al (1985) Diagnosis and prognosis in schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 42, 1525.Google Scholar
Crow, T. J. (1986) The continuum of psychosis and its implication for the gene. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 419429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cummings, J. L. (1985) Organic delusions: phenomenology, anatomical correlations and review. British Journal of Psychiatry, 146, 184187.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Endicott, J. & Spitzer, R. L. (1978) A diagnostic interview: the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 35, 837844.Google Scholar
Fish, F. (1967) Clinical Psychopathology. Bristol: J. Wright and Sons.Google Scholar
Kendell, R. E. & Gourlay, J. (1970) The clinical distinction between the affective psychoses and schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 117, 261266.Google Scholar
Kendell, R. E. & Brockington, I. F. (1981) The identification of disease entities and the relationship between schizophrenic and affective psychoses. British Journal of Psychiatry, 137, 341350.Google Scholar
Koehler, K. (1979) First rank symptoms of schizophrenia: questions concerning clinical boundaries. British Journal of Psychiatry, 134, 236248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koehler, K., Guth, W. & Grimm, G. (1977) First rank symptoms of schizophrenia in Schneider oriented German clinics. Archives of General Psychiatry, 34, 810813.Google Scholar
Koehler, K. & Seminario, I. (1978) First rank schizophrenia and diagnosable schizophrenia and affective illness. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 117, 1523.Google Scholar
Mellor, C. S. (1970) First rank symptoms of schizophrenia. British Journal of Psychiatry, 117, 1523.Google Scholar
Mellor, C. S., Sims, A. C. P. & Cope, R. V. (1981) Changes of diagnosis in schizophrenia and first rank symptoms: an eight year follow up. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 22, 184188.Google Scholar
Schneider, K. (1959) Clinical Psychopathology. New York: Grune and Stratton.Google Scholar
Spitzer, R., Endicott, J. & Robins, E. (1978) Research diagnostic criteria. Archives of General Psychiatry, 29, 520522.Google Scholar
Taylor, M. A. & Heiser, J. F. (1971) Phenomenology: an alternative approach to diagnosis of mental disease. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 12, 480486.Google Scholar
Taylor, M. A. & Arams, R. (1973) The phenomenology of mania. Archives of General Psychiatry, 29, 520522.Google Scholar
Trimble, M. R. (1987) The neurology of schizophrenia. British Medical Bulletin, 3, 587598.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E. & Sartorius, N. (1974) The Measurement and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms. London: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K., & Nixon, J. (1975) Discriminating symptoms in schizophrenia. Archives of General Psychiatry, 32, 853859.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.