evaluation of prevalence and factors affecting the change of diagnosis of mood disorder to schizophrenia after six years

introduction: the purpose of this study was to assess prevalence and possible variables on the change of diagnosis in mood disorder patients to schizophrenia. methods: this study was a retrospective and comparative analytic research that was performed in 2006 at razi psychiatric hospital. the study included all of the 176 patients who were hospitalized in 2000 with diagnosis of a 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 was analyzed by statistical chi-square and t student test. results: findings showed that 31.3% of all of the patients shifted toward schizophrenia. 23.3% and 32.9% of patients with major depressive disorders and bipolar disorders shifted toward schizophrenia, respectively. there was no statistical difference between groups in demographic variables, but there was statistical difference in some of the clinical variables such as psychotic features (pvalue=0.001), severe clinical features (pvalue=0.016), and gradual onset of disorder (pvalue=0.027) with change of diagnosis to schizophrenia. conclusion: recognition of clinical variables associated with change of diagnosis to schizophrenia such as psychotic features, severe clinical features and gradual onset of disorder will help clinicians in better management of these patients than the past.