Left-handed people are more likely to suffer from psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia, a new study has found.
Researchers found that some 40 per cent of patients with mental disorders including schizophrenia were left-handed.
Yale University researcher Jadon Webb and his colleagues have found that among those with mental illnesses, people with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia are much more likely to be left-handed than those with mood disorders like depression or bipolar syndrome.
When comparing all patients with mental disorders, the research team found that 11 per cent of those diagnosed with mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder are left-handed, which is similar to the rate in the general population.
However, according to Webb, "a striking of 40 per cent of those with schizophrenia or schizo-affective disorder are left-handed."
"In general, people with psychosis are those who have lost touch with reality in some way, through hallucinations, delusions, or false beliefs, and it is notable that this symptom constellation seems to correlate with being left-handed," said Webb.
"Finding bio-markers such as this can hopefully enable us to identify and differentiate mental disorders earlier, and perhaps one day tailor treatment in more effective ways," said Webb.
Webb and his colleagues studied 107 individuals from a public outpatient psychiatric clinic seeking treatment in an urban, low-income community.
The research team determined the frequency of left-handedness within the group of patients identified with different types of mental disorders.
The study was published in the journal SAGE Open.
