부산대학교 도서관

Debate about the relative contributions to schizophrenia (a psychological disorder involving altered affect and thought processes) by genetic and environmental factors continues, with no resolution in sight. One approach has searched for biological precipitants, including complications during delivery and the perinatal period. Most studies of the obstetrical records of schizophrenics suffer from flaws, some of which are addressed in a study of 27 schizophrenics and their non-schizophrenic siblings. Birth records for all subjects were examined by investigators blind as to the diagnosis of the individual. Two scales were constructed to measure obstetrical complications: scale I consisted of 17 items that were either absent, equivocally present, or definitely present. Scale II was a checklist of 25 items, with a severity weighting. Three scores were derived, overall. Complications included such procedures or events as use of forceps, placental abnormality, or prolonged labor. Results showed that schizophrenics had more complications than controls, as well as higher scores on Scale II measurements of frequency, severity, and total complications. The only single complication that was more common in delivery of schizophrenics was premature rupture of membranes. Based on these data, it could be assumed that obstetrical complications and schizophrenia were related in 56 percent of the 27 schizophrenic-sibling pairs. Such complications can be viewed as either the cause or result of schizophrenia, since, if the disorder is primarily a developmental one, schizophrenics could be more likely to experience problematic deliveries. The data equally support the possibility that obstetrical complications contribute to schizophrenia, but the way this occurs has not been determined. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)