Introduction: Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder and focusing on factors at period before the onset of disorder would provide ample opportunity for detection and intervention of individuals who later develop schizophrenia.

Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted to compare premorbid adjustment in male and female patients of schizophrenia. 25 make and 25 female subjects were selected by purposive sampling and their family members were interviewed. Qualitative analysis was carried out to identify various factors.

Results: Male patients of schizophrenia had earlier age of onset and premorbid adjustment during all stages of assessment- childhood (upto 11years), early adolescence (12-15 years), late adolescence (16-18 years) and adult (above 19 years) and total premorbid adjustment was found significantly poorer in males.

Conclusions: There is significant difference in premorbid adjustment in male and female patients of schizophrenia. The difference started from childhood and persisted upto adult stage.

Keywords: ICD- 10 DCR- International Classification of Diseases, Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders- Diagnostic Criteria for Research.

DSM-V- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders, 5^th Edition.

PAS – Premorbid Adjustment Scale.

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Sanjay Kumar Munda DPM, MD (Psychiatry)

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi-834006, India