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Patients with delusions in a community psychiatric service: A follow‐up study
Author(s) -
Jørgensen P.,
MunkJørgensen P.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1986.tb10586.x
Subject(s) - delusion , psychiatry , psychology , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , delusional disorder , clinical psychology , psychosis
— Case records of 546 patients referred for the first time to a community psychiatric service were studied. Fifty‐six patients revealed delusions of various types. The female/male ratio was 2:1, and the mean age 57 years. The majority of the paranoid patients belonged to the lowest socio‐economic groups. Symptomatology, including type of delusion, treatment given and diagnostic classification is presented. The delusions occurred as part of all major psychotic syndromes with a preponderance of organic and affective psychoses. After 5–20 years of observation a full remission without relapse was seen in only 5%. However, the predictive value of delusions has not been sufficiently established, and the need for prospective studies of course and prognosis of psychoses with delusions is stressed.