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Socio-economic Mobility among Patients with Schizophrenia or Major Affective Disorder a 17-Year Retrospective Follow-Up

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Seppo Aro ,
Hillevi Aro  and
Ilmo Keskimäki
Seppo Aro*
Affiliation:
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki
Hillevi Aro
Affiliation:
National Public Health Institute, Department of Mental Health, Helsinki
Ilmo Keskimäki
Affiliation:
National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland
*
Professor Seppo Aro, National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health, Health Services Research Unit, PO Box 220, FIN-00531 Helsinki, Finland
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Extract

Background

Social mobility among patients with schizophrenia or major affective disorder was compared with that among the general population.

Method

Mobility was studied retrospectively from 1970 to 1987. Socio-economic status (SES) was defined by occupation as in the population census (upper white-collar, lower white-collar, blue-collar, entrepreneur, farmer, unemployed). All patients aged 30–60 years at discharge (2901 men and 3620 women) in 1987–88 in Finland were included in the study. The SES structure of the general population was used for comparisons.

Results

Among patients with schizophrenia there was a constant downward drift, commonly to unemployment. This risk was higher among men than women. In the youngest age group a marked decline from the parents' social status was observed. Among patients with major affective disorder the distribution of SES in 1970 was similar to that of the general population. By 1987, a downward drift was again observed, mainly to unemployment regardless of the initial SES group. The number of patients in occupational categories were usually 30–50% lower than expected.

Conclusions

Schizophrenic patients had a high risk of social drop-out. Among patients with major affective disorder the downward drift was much less.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 166 , Issue 6 , June 1995 , pp. 759 - 767
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1995 

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