Studies of schizophrenia and homelessness are often complicated by comorbid substance use. In India, however, women with schizophrenia and homelessness have very low rates of substance use, providing a unique opportunity to separate the effects of the illness from substance use. This study examined the clinical characteristics of 36 women with schizophrenia and homelessness, comparing them to an age-matched group of 32 women with schizophrenia living with their families. Both groups were assessed for psychopathology, cognitive difficulties, disability, and psychosocial factors using various scales and batteries, with comparisons made using t-tests and chi-square tests.

The results showed that women with schizophrenia and homelessness had significantly higher scores on measures of psychopathology, significantly lower cognitive functioning, and much higher disability levels. They were also on higher doses of antipsychotics. The differences in psychopathology, cognition, and disability scores between the two groups were substantial, suggesting that women with schizophrenia and homelessness represent an extreme phenotype of the disorder. The study highlights the need for further exploration of this severe and persistent form of schizophrenia, which appears non-responsive to standard dopamine-blocking treatments.

Reference: Menon J, Kantipudi S, Mani A, et al. Characterization of an extreme phenotype of schizophrenia among women with homelessness. 2023. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences. 10.1101/2023.07.29.23293378.