Table 4. Citations reporting incidence of schizophrenia over time in England, 1881–1999, organised by study setting.
| Authors | Time period(s) | Setting | Contact type | Findings∧ | Original authors' explanations |
| Allardyce et al. [46] | 1979–841992–97 | Camberwell, London (& Dumfries & Galloway†) | Case register & first contact | Increased rate in Camberwell over time, adjusted for age & sex (+) | Increase in ethnic minority population in Camberwell over time period. Rate in white group in 1992 was comparable between rural & urban settings |
| Boydell et al. [53] | 1965–97 | Camberwell, London | As above | As above (+) | Increase in ethnic minority population in Camberwell over time period. |
| Castle et al. [14], [59], [60] | 1965–84 | Camberwell, London | Case register | Trend towards increased rates (p = 0.06) (+) | As above |
| Harrison et al. [84] | 1975–87 | Nottingham | Case register | No change in rate (∼) | Changes elsewhere might be explained by migration |
| Kirkbride et al. [95] | 1978–801992–941997–99 | Nottingham | Case register + first onset | Decline in rate (−) | Diagnostic changes over time. Decline matched by corresponding increase in other non-affective psychoses. Overall, stable rates of non-affective psychosis |
| Brewin et al. [56] | 1978–801992–94 | Nottingham | Case register | Decline in rate (−) | Genuine change in the syndromal presentation of disorder |
| Nixon et al. [105] ‡ | 1881–19021978–801992–94 | Nottingham | Case register + re-diagnosis of historical records | No change over 114 years (∼) | Stability of aetiologically-relevant social factors over time, though not across sociodemographic groups, may explain constant rate |
| de Alarcon et al. [70] | 1975–86 | Oxfordshire | First contact | Decline in rate (−) | Diagnostic changes over time, partially evidenced by increases in diagnosis of other “paranoid states” (i.e. other non-affective disorders) |
| Prince & Phelan [106] | 1970–85 | England | First admissions | Decline in rate (−) | Change of organisation of healthcare from inpatient to outpatient and possible population attitude shift in treatment of mentally ill may explain decline. Decline of schizophrenia set against parallel declines over same period for many types of mental illness. Argues against “true” decline (see [15]) |
†
Results from Dumfries & Galloway (Scotland) not officially part of present review but included as part of study.
‡
First time period lies outside the scope of this review, but results presented in table for completeness.
∧
(+) Increase in rate; (−) decrease in rate; (∼) no change in rate observed.