Exogenous variables describing familial schizophrenia

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of early onset males but late onset females in the epidemiological sample. These findings are in keeping with our second hypothesis.

Department of Psychiatry. University of Vienna, Wdhringer Giirtel 18-20, A - 1090 Vienna, Austria

with a diagnosis from the schizophrenia-spectrum (non-organic, non-affective psychosis, schizotypal personality disorder) and a healthy sibling. In addition to a RFLP-linkage study, exogenous variables (e.g. sex, social competence in youth, current partnership, personality, season of birth) were considered and their influence over the description of schizophrenia; correlative interactions between them were analyzed with path analysis. Thirteen exogenous variables, building 9 latent factors, could explain 53% of the variance of schizophrenia. Thereby, two factom, social interactions and harm avoidance (one dimension of CR. Cloninger’s biosocial personality model), show a major contribution. Interactions between these 9 factors can be described: e.g. novelty seeking influences the factor for social interaction.

Fifteen nuclear families were identified in Austria through a proband suffering schizophrenia (DSM-III-R), who had a sibling

Supported (MNMI).

EXOGENOUS VARIABLES DESCRIBING FAMILIAL SCHIZOPHRENIA U. Willinger*, K. Meszaros, H.N. Aschauer, G. Fischer, H. Beran, E. Lenzinger, E. Resinger, R. Sob1

by Austrian

Res. Found.

50225,

P7639

and ESF