S64. EXAMINING THE CHARACTERISTICS AND PREDICTORS OF AGE OF ONSET BY SEX IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

摘要

It is widely accepted that men tend to manifest schizophrenia for the first time at an earlier age than women. A number of factors, apart from gender, have also been shown to influence the age at onset in schizophrenia. These factors can generally be divided into three types: static (e.g. family history of psychosis), triggering (e.g. substance use immediately preceding onset) and inferential (e.g. physical health). There is considerable evidence that these factors differ between the genders. Using data from the nationwide Survey of High Impact Psychosis in Australia (N=855), this study thus aimed to update and specify our understanding of age of onset differences between men and women in schizophrenia in three key ways: 1) determining whether there are different stages of onset (e.g. early versus late); 2) characterizing the static, triggering and inferential factors associated with each type of onset; and 3) examining the predictive value of these factors on age of onset.