[Sex differences in the institutional careers of schizophrenics. A contribution to the socio-epidemiology of mental diseases (author's transl)].

All Patients residing within the area looked after by the Psychiatric Clinic of the Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (Hannover Medical University) who had been initially hospitalized with schizophrenic psychosis (ICD 295) and discharged between 1.1 1973 to 31.12.1978, were followed up until 31.12.1979. Men were rehospitalized significantly earlier and more often than women. This difference between the sexes were independent of age, diagnostic sub-category, school education, professional activities at the time of first hospitalization, marital status and - with men - of the duration of the first period of inpatient treatment. The following points are discussed careers of schizophrenics: sex-determined course of the disease; aspects of the behavioural attitude of the patients in relation to their disease, role obligations and reactions on the part of the social environment; and influences exercised by the medical care system.