International schizophrenia research and the concept of patient-centredness: an analysis over two decades.

Background: Patient-centred medicine improves psychological and physiological functioning in chronic illnesses.

Aims: To determine to what extent the patient-centred ethos (as exemplified by research addressing subjective experiences) was incorporated into work presented at major international schizophrenia research forums between 1988 and 2004.

Method: Whole population-based, retrospective cohort study using abstracts from the International Congress on Schizophrenia Research and the Biennial Winter Workshop on Schizophrenia (n = 9,284). Comparative analysis using abstracts from the International Society for the Psychological Treatment of Schizophrenia (n = 992). Patient-centredness was assessed by determining the number of abstracts that primarily addressed participants' subjective experiences.

Results: Research was presented from 50 countries globally. European and North American countries produced 8,573 (92%) of the total. Biological research was the main theme of 6,960 (75%) of the abstracts, with psychosocial research constituting less than 5%. One hundred and eighty three (2%) abstracts from the two main conferences addressed subjective experiences, as did 333 (34%) from the comparative analysis.

Conclusions: Between 1988 and 2004 research emanating from North American and European countries, together with biologically orientated research, were the most prevalent perspectives on schizophrenia. It appears that research into the subjective experiences of participants has not been as prevalent as more objective accounts of the disorder, suggesting that this research effort has not been patient-centred.