First psychotic episodes among Israeli youth during military service

• Published in: Military medicine Vol. 165; no. 3; pp. 169 - 172
• Main Authors: KNOBLER, H. Y, DYCIAN, A, KATZ, G, INTRATOR, O, ABRAMOWITZ, M. Z, LERNER, Y, KRON, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Association of Military Surgeons 01.03.2000; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Affective Disorders, Psychotic - diagnosis; Affective Disorders, Psychotic - epidemiology; Affective Disorders, Psychotic - etiology; Age of Onset; Alcohol; Biological and medical sciences; Case-Control Studies; Cohort Studies; Drug abuse; Epidemiology; Female; Females; Gender differences; Hospitalization; Hospitalization - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Intelligence tests; Israel - epidemiology; Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data; Male; Males; Mass Screening; Medical sciences; Military personnel; Military Personnel - statistics & numerical data; Military service; Miscellaneous; Prevention and actions; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychoses; Psychosis; Psychotic Disorders - diagnosis; Psychotic Disorders - epidemiology; Psychotic Disorders - etiology; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quantitative psychology; Risk Factors; Schizophrenia; Schizophrenia - diagnosis; Schizophrenia - epidemiology; Schizophrenia - etiology; Stress, Psychological - complications; Suicidal behavior; Suicides & suicide attempts; Time Factors; Tropical medicine; Women; Young adults; Israel; Human; Psychosis; Cohort study; Young adult; Risk factor; Hospitalization; Military service; Epidemiology; Stress; Military
• ISSN: 0026-4075; 1930-613X
• DOI: 10.1093/milmed/165.3.169

The military setting offers unique opportunities for the study of the epidemiology of first psychotic episodes among Israeli youth. The aim of the present study was to describe characteristics of first psychotic episodes among a cohort of Israeli soldiers. Ninety soldiers, 67 males and 23 females, who were hospitalized for a first psychotic episode were studied and compared with 90 soldiers hospitalized in psychiatric units during the same year who were not psychotic. The results include a high rate of schizophreniform psychoses and schizophrenia; no gender difference in the occurrence of psychoses; within-average mean ratings on the preinduction psychometric intelligence test; no history of substance abuse; and a remarkable occurrence of psychiatric hospitalizations, including first psychotic episodes, during the stressful beginning of military service, supporting the hypothesis that psychotic symptoms are likely to occur in a stressful situation among vulnerable individuals. Follow-up studies will indicate whether early detection and treatment may improve the outcome of the psychoses.