Incidence and other aspects of the epidemiology of schizophrenia in Denmark, 1971-87.

All Danish psychiatric patients admitted to hospital for the first time in the period 1969-88 with a diagnosis of schizophrenia given at least once during the period were included in the study. More than 8500 patients were examined in the Danish nationwide psychiatric register. First-admission rates decreased by approximately 50% irrespective of mode of calculation and increase in SMR. The use of in-patient care was unchanged despite a reduction in available beds of more than 40% in the study period.