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Background: The short-term course of schizophrenia is reported to be better in some developing country settings. The long-term course in such settings, however, has rarely been studied.Aims: To examine the long-term course and mortality of schizophrenia in patients with a poor 2-year course.Method: The report is based on two incidence cohorts of first-contact patients in urban and rural Chandigarh, India, originally recruited for the World Health Organization Determinants of Outcome of Severe Mental Disorders study. Patients were assessed using standardised instruments at 2- and 15-year follow-ups.Results: Ninety-two per cent of the patients with a poor 2-year course had a poor long-term course and 47% died - a nine times higher mortality rate than among patients with other 2-year course types.Conclusions: In this developing country setting, a poor 2-year course was strongly predictive of poor prognosis and high mortality, raising questions about the adequacy of care for such patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study explored the relation of level of socio-economic development to the course of non-affective psychosis, by extending the analysis of urban/rural differences in course in Chandigarh, India.Method: The proportion of 'best outcome' cases between urban (n = 110) and rural (n = 50) catchment areas were compared at two-year follow-up, separately for CATEGOS+ and non-S+ schizophrenia.Results: The proportion of subjects with 'best outcome' ratings at the urban and rural sites, respectively, was similar for CATEGOS+ schizophrenia (29 v. 29%), but significantly different for non-S+ psychosis (26 v. 47%).Conclusions: The fact that in rural Chandigarh, psychoses have a more favourable course than in the urban area may be explained in large part by psychoses distinct from 'nuclear' schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]