A population-based examination of the role of years of education, age of onset, and sex on the course of schizophrenia

This article examines how premorbid years of education and age of onset relate to the course of schizophrenia in a population-based cohort. All first and subsequent cases who were hospitalized with schizophrenia (1988–92, followed up until 1996) and completed their formal education at least 1 year before hospitalization (n = 2135) were extracted from the Israeli National Psychiatric Hospitalization Registry. Results, based on hierarchical moderated regression models showed that age of onset predicted the course with greater consistency and magnitude than years of education. Years of education predicted the age of first hospitalization among males. Years of education and age of first hospitalization significantly interacted to predict the length of first stay and average number of days hospitalized over the course for males. The interaction showed that for males less education predicted poorer hospitalization outcomes if an earlier onset occurred. Together, the results suggest that less educated, early onset males are at higher risk of a poorer course.