Delusional Disorder over the Reproductive Life Span: The Potential Influence of Menopause on the Clinical Course
Table 1
Baseline sociodemographic and clinical features and psychopathology symptoms by clinical groups ().
Variable
Total sample
DD women premenopausal onset
DD women postmenopausal onset
value
Sociodemographic variables
DUP, mean years (SD)
5.40 (9.5)
8.84 (13.9)
3.84 (6.01)
, df = 80,
Marital status, (%)
, df = 2,
Never married
34 (42.5)
13 (52)
21 (38.2)
Married/partner
17 (21.3)
5 (20)
12 (21.8)
Divorced/separated/widowed
29 (36.3)
7 (28)
22 (40)
Social network (cohabiters), (%)
, df = 3,
0
48 (60)
15 (60)
33 (60)
1
23 (28.8)
6 (24)
17 (30.9)
2
6 (7.5)
3 (12)
3 (5.5)
3 or >
3 (3.8)
1 (4)
2 (3.6)
Educational level (years), (%)
, df = 3,
<8
10 (12.5)
1 (4)
10 (12.5)
8-9
29 (36.3)
7 (28)
29 (36.3)
10-11
22 (27.5)
6 (24)
22 (27.5)
12 or >
19 (23.8)
11 (44)
19 (23.8)
Employment status, (%)
, df = 3,
Unemployed
6 (7.5)
2 (8)
4 (7.3)
Employed
24 (30)
8 (32)
16 (29.1)
Economic benefit
20 (25)
10 (40)
10 (18.2)
Pensioner
30 (37.5)
5 (20)
25 (45.5)
Clinical features
DD type, (%)
, df = 4,
Persecutory
55 (68.8)
14 (56)
41 (74.5)
Erotomanic
9 (11.3)
8 (32)
1 (1.8)
Jealous
6 (7.5)
1 (4)
5 (9.1)
Somatic
3 (3.8)
1 (4)
2 (3.6)
Grandiose
7 (8.8)
1 (4)
6 (10.9)
Sexual delusional content, (%)
19 (23.8)
11 (44)
8 (14.5)
FET = 0.009
Lifetime suicidal behaviour, (%)
14 (17.5)
5 (20)
9 (16.4)
, df = 1,
Gynaecological disorders, (%)
36 (45)
15 (60)
21 (38.2)
FET = 0.058
Psychopathological symptoms, mean (SD)
PANSS total
88.04 (14.44)
86.48 (21.91)
88.75 (15.16)
, df = 78,
PANSS positive subscale
24.77 (6.69)
24.68 (7.53)
24.82 (6.34)
, df = 78,
PANSS negative subscale
17.86 (5.18)
18.40 (6.92)
17.62 (4.21)
, df = 78,
PANSS general subscale
45.4 (8.87)
43.40 (10.54)
46.31 (7.94)
, df =78,
PSP
48.74 (13.37)
51.36 (16.2)
47.55 (11.87)
, df = 78,
HRSD-17
9.74 (5.92)
10.72 (6.52)
9.29 (5.63)
, df =78;
SUMD total
14.25 (1.45)
14.72 (1.02)
14.04 (1.65)
, df = 66.9,
C-SSRS, suicidal ideation intensity
3.39 (7.01)
3.12 (6.53)
3.51 (7.38)
, df = 71,
. C-SSRS: Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale; DD: delusional disorder; df: degrees of freedom; DUP: duration of untreated psychosis; FET: Fisher’s exact test; HRSD: Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression; : value; PANSS: Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale; PSP: Personal and Social Performance Scale; SD: standard deviation; SUMD: Scale for Unawareness of Mental Disorder; : Student -test; : Chi-square test.
