[In Process Citation]

On the basis of a representative paper and pencil survey with office based psychiatrists, neurologists, psychiatric out-patient clinics and psychiatric wards/hospitals it is shown that in Germany in 1997 about 136,000 adult patients with diagnosed schizophrenia (F20 according to ICD 10) are attended by specialists. 75.4% of these patients are in attention of office based specialists, and 21.3% are attended by out-patient clinics. According to the details of psychiatric wards and hospitals, 3.3% of the patients are under long term (> 1 year) medical attention at hospitals. The amount of schizophrenia patients being under attention of specialists corresponds to 0.21% of the German population > 18 years. For patients who receive out-patient treatment it is shown that they are under medical attention at hospitals for average 22 days per year, and for 3.4 days they are under medical attention at rehabilitation centers.