Schizophrenia followup lacking for 40% of diagnosed young Ontarians, study finds

About two in five young people diagnosed for the first time with schizophrenia in Ontario don’t have crucial followup with a doctor within a month, according to a new report.

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that involves delusions such as believing one is being monitored, hearing voices, and withdrawing from social relationships.

Researchers focused on people aged 14 to 35 in Ontario who were diagnosed between 1999 and 2008 for the study released Thursday in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.

The researchers found about 40 per cent didn’t receive any followup within 30 days from any doctor. Almost 60 per cent didn’t receive any followup from a psychiatrist.

1 Like