Introduction: Males and females are different both biologically and physiologically. Also social roles, norms, and traditions are different in males and females. So it may be presumed that they may also differ in symptom presentation during illness. Also culture may have important contribution when it comes to gender, both in non-diseased and diseased state as many psychosocial hypotheses have been proposed in causation of mental illness. Schizophrenia is regarded as most severe mental illness. Many prior studies have established that males have more negative symptoms and females more prominent positive symptoms. But this difference needs to be examined in different settings to have more comprehensive assessment and treatment for better outcome.

Materials and Methods: 25 male and 25 female patients of schizophrenia taken by purposive sampling and cross sectional assessment of baseline symptoms were done by PANSS. Analysis of the sample done by statistical methods to identify difference in symptomatology.

Results: PANSS negative symptom score was higher in males (21.96±6.99) than females (17.20±5.21) and it was significant (p=.01). PANSS positive symptom score was higher in female (27.60±4.85) than male (24.92±6.23) patients of schizophrenia. The association was not significant in positive symptoms (p=.09). 

Conclusions: At the level of baseline psychopathology, positive symptoms were more prominent in females and negative symptoms in males.

Keywords: Schizophrenia, Negative and positive symptoms.

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Sanjay Kumar Munda DPM, MD (Psychiatry)

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, India