Evaluation of Prevalence and Effective Factors on Changing the Diagnosis from Mood Disorders to Schizophrenia after Six Years

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and possible variables on changing the diagnosis of mood disorder patients to schizophrenia. Method: This study was a retrospective and comparative analytic research that was performed in 2006 in Razi psychiatric hospital. The sample consisted of all the 176 patients who were hospitalized in 2000 with the diagnosis of mood disorder. The patients were divided into two subgroups: the stable group with a persistent mood disorder diagnosis and the changed group with a changed mood disorder diagnosis to schizophrenia. Data were analyzed between these groups using chi-square and t student test. Results: Findings showed that 31.3% of all the patients shifted towards schizophrenia; 23.3% and 32.9% of the patients with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorders shifted towards schizophrenia respectively. No statistical difference was observed between the groups in demographic variables but there was a statistical difference in some of the clinical variables such as psychotic features (p<0.01), severe clinical features (p<0.05), and the gradual onset of disorder (p<0.05) with changing the diagnosis to schizophrenia. Conclusion: Recognition of clinical variables associated with changing the diagnosis to schizophrenia such as psychotic features, severe clinical features and the gradual onset of disorder will help clinicians to manage these patients better than the past.