A psychosocial study of Igbo schizophrenic patients treated at a Nigerian psychiatric hospital.

A study of the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of schizophrenics of Igbo origin treated at a psychiatric hospital in Nigeria over a period of 6 months was made together with a limited follow-up. Males exceeded females in the proportion of 2:1. About 66% were below the age of 30 years. While there were more married females than single, there were more single males than married. However, single persons on the whole predominated. The majority (61%) were either illiterate or had low education while 52% were either unemployed or unskilled persons. Paranoid and catatonic schizophrenias were the commonest diagnostic subgroups. The short-term prognosis was very good in that 96% were greatly improved at the time of discharge. There was, however, a high dropout rate of 57% over a period of 5 years. Of those still attending, 73% remained improved. The possible sociocultural basis of some of the findings is discussed.