The experience of schizophrenia: What's gender got to do with it? A critical review of the current status of research on schizophrenia

Abstract

The role of gender in schizophrenia is explored, and literature on gender and schizophrenia is critically reviewed. The importance of investigating gender differences in schizophrenia is underscored by the lack of sufficient research in this area to date and the comparative neglect of sociocultural issues during the "decade of the brain." The importance of incorporating gender factors into research analysis is demonstrated via an interdisciplinary discussion that involves psychiatric, anthropological, and sociological theory. Methodological and measurement issues in gender-based research are considered. Selected directions for future research initiatives that expand beyond a dichotomons comparison of "male" and "female" sex differences to examine the role of gender along a continuum as a sociocultural influence on schizophrenia onset, illness presentation, and treatment are presented.