Social isolation is a factor associated to mortality and morbidity in general population.

This symptom has been considered as prodrome in ‘high-risk mental states’ for a possible development of psychosis. Social isolation is a frequent problem in psychotic patients visited by mobile crisis unit (EMSE).

To describe the differences between psychotic patients with social isolation with patients without it.

A descriptive observational and cross-linked study in patients with diagnostic of psychotic disorder visited by EMSE from 2004 to 2010. The sample was divided in two groups; present and absence of social isolation as the main problem. We evaluated demographic and clinical variables including the aggressive behaviour and violence scale (AVAT) and positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS).

N: 662 subjects (61.3% men; mean age 44+-16 years) with psychotic disorder. 15.1% present social isolation like the main problem against 84.9% who present others main problems: delusion/hallucination (44.7%), behaviour disturbance (18.1%) and agitation/aggressivity (14%).

Patients with social isolation are mostly men (72%, p < 0.05), live with family (79.4%, p < 0.05), are less aggressive (AVAT 2.77 p < 0.05) than psychotic patients that are not isolated. The punctuation in subscale negative syndrome of PANSS is higher (26.19 versus 20.25, p0.001).

This study concludes that patients with psychotic disorder and social isolation are mainly men and they have less aggressivity and predominantly negative syndrome. These results are important to improve the multidisciplinary therapeutic approach.