Sex Differences in the Risk of Schizophrenia

Background: Sex differences in the risk of a particular disorder can yield important clues regarding its pathogenesis.The evidence for a sex difference in the risk of schizophrenia is inconclusive.The purpose of this study was to integrate results from the published literature and to provide a quantitative index of the male-female ratio for the incidence of schizophrenia. Methods:The MEDLINE and PsychLIT databases were searched for English-language publications on "incidence and schizophrenia" that appeared during the period between January 1980 and September 2001.Population-based incidence studies using standard clinical diagnostic criteria were included if they reported sexspecific incidence…