Remission and Relapse in Schizophrenia: The Madras Longitudinal Study

Abstract

This paper uses monthly symptom data on 90 first-onset schizophrenics in Madras, India, to characterize, in a continuous manner, the course of remission and relapse. Remission from the first episode occurs in about 6 months and in about 3 months for later episodes. Syndromes from the Present State Exam, assessed at the first episode, predict differentially to early and later parts of the course. Hypomania and simple depression predict early remission from the first episode; flat affect and grandiose delusions predict longer episodes and shorter remissions later in the course.