The larger extended/joint family, which was able to compensate and cope with the dysfunctional member, seemed to be the crucial factor related to non-treatment of the schizophrenic patient.

Dyskinesia but not parkinsonism is more common in siblings of people with schizophrenia who have the corresponding movement disorder.

A number of schizophrenia patients live untreated in the community in the developing countries. There is little recorded experience of how such patients would respond to treatment after years of untreated illness. A cohort of 72 never-treated chronic schizophrenia patents in Chennai, India were directed to attend a health facility. A substantial proportion of them (68%) came for treatment. Unemployed status of male patients, living in a joint family setting and families initially unaware of the psychiatric nature of the problem were the factors that related to failure to seek treatment. Patient's sex, age, education, marital status, economic status, age at onset and duration of illness, degree of disability and clinical symptoms (except self-neglect) were not related to taking treatment. Those who attended were treated with typical antipsychotic drugs and followed up for one year. Evaluation was done using the Present State Examination and Psychiatric History and Sociodemographic Schedule and Disability Assessment Schedule. The clinical outcome was good (Best Remission) in 29%. There was no impairment in social functioning in 35% and 51% has no impairment in occupational functioning at the end of one year.

There is an association in never-treated patients between a poorer memory and negative symptoms, but not between a poorer memory and dyskinesia.

No abstract