Illegitimate Fertility of Psychotic Women

Abstract

Earlier studies on psychotic patients suggested that their illegitimate fertility was lower than expected on the basis of general population trends. The present findings were part of a study on marriage and fertility of women suffering from schizophrenia and affective disorders since the impact of community orientated psychiatry; 1300 women were selected from admissions to a London hospital during 1955–63 and followed up until August 1966. The proportion of total live births which were illegitimate was 19·1% among the schizophrenics, 7·5% among the affectives and 12·7% in the general population of London during 1961. The high illegitimate fertility of schizophrenics is probably related to their low probability of marriage; more births occurred before than after admission, especially among the older group of women suffering from affective disorders. Most of the births were the result of a serious relationship rather than casual promiscuity, and they were more frequent among Jamaican patients and patients with probable psychopathic personalities in both clinical groups. The genetic and social relevance of the study is discussed.